


Constricted

by Willkillya_slytherin



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-02 01:51:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 55,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16296020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willkillya_slytherin/pseuds/Willkillya_slytherin
Summary: It's Jordan Fraser's fourth year in Hogwarts, and things are starting to get complicated. Getting attention from Slytherin's golden boy Draco Malfoy leads to all kinds of trouble, and certainly not the kind she is expecting. With rumors of rising darkness spreading and family legacies catching up to her, Jordan has to start making decisions that could ultimately lead to life or death.Willow has never been comfortable with her heritage, but when she gains growing attention for her unusual features, talk runs wild in the Slytherin house. She is forced to face her worst enemy, the purebloods, but she never thought she would have to do it alone. Old friendships are being brought to question and enemies are becoming allies.With the TriWizard Tournament on the horizon and the games slowly becoming more dangerous, everyone has to face what is choking them. The question is, will they slay the serpent, or get constricted?





	1. Character bio’s

\- Jordan Fraser -

      A curvy-slim ginger with dark green eyes. Stands at 5'0, and is covered in freckles.  
Year: 4  
House: Slytherin  
Date of birth: October 30  
Nationality: Scottish  
Blood rank: Pureblood, Human

 

 

\- Willow Brodigan -

      A slim and athletic girl with white blonde hair and lavender eyes. Stands at 5'2, with slightly pointed ears and pale skin, has a light dusting of freckles.  
Year: 4  
House: Slytherin  
Date of birth: April 3  
Nationality: Irish, Forest Fairy  
Blood rank: Muggle born, of Fairy Descendant (25%)

 

 

\- Theresa De La Rosa -

      A curvy girl with olive skin and curly black hair. Stands at 5'3 with dark brown eyes.  
Year: 4  
House: Gryffindor  
Date of birth: April 8  
Nationality: Colombian  
Blood rank: Halfblood, Human

 

 

\- Fawn Bodner -

A slim girl with golden-blonde hair and green eyes. Stands at 5'6 with charming dimples.  
Year: 4  
House: Hufflepuff  
Date of birth: November 13  
Nationality: British  
Blood rank: Halfblood, of Veelan Descent (50%)

 

 

\- Tobias Forcina -

      A boy with a defined build, sandy-blond hair and hazel eyes. Stands at 5'10.   
Year: 4  
House: Hufflepuff  
Date of birth: January 3  
Nationality: British  
Blood rank: Muggle born, Human

 

 

\- Michael Klukovich -

      A tall, lanky boy with brown hair and brown eyes. Stands at 6'4 with dark rimmed glasses.  
Year: 4  
House: Ravenclaw  
Date of birth: September 8  
Nationality: British  
Blood rank: Pureblood

 

 

\- Oak Brodigan -

      A boy with a strong and athletic build, with dark brown hair and grey kaleidoscope eyes. Stands at 6'1, with pointed ears and a pierced right eyebrow.  
Year: 7  
School: Durmstrang  
Date of birth: March 6  
Nationality: Irish/forest fairy  
Blood rank: Muggle born, of Fairy Descent (25%)

 

 

 

Author's Note: Sorry about the random notifications and stuff from us re-publishing old chapters, we just realized how trash our writing is for the first 4 chapters :)  We will be editing heavily (hopefully more fully after we publish ALL of the chapters) so please be patient with us as we fix all the minor - HORRIBLE, LIFE THREATENING - plot holes.


	2. Train Station

The smell of warm engines and the screeching sound of metal on metal echoed throughout the station as Jordan Fraser waited at platform 9 3/4 for her train. All around her was the shrieks of younger siblings and the concerned fretting of parents, and for a moment, she felt a light pang of loneliness as she stood with nothing but her trunk and owl at her side. 

"They didn't come, huh?"

The Slytherin girl turned to see a tall, lanky boy with dark rimmed glass standing casually at her side. His brown hair framed his boyish jawline, and his milk chocolate eyes shone in a way that made her heart skip. His name was Michael Klukovich, a brilliant Ravenclaw boy she met in her third year, and quickly grew close to. 

Jordan let out an small sigh. "You know they stopped coming a long time ago."

Jordan's parents had stopped seeing her off to Hogwarts after her second year, once they had discovered the kind of company she had been keeping. Ever the loyal friend, the young redhead had refused to abandon her new band of mixed-blooded misfits at the cost of her parent's approval. As a result, her parents shunned her for having 'filthy half-breed friends' in 'weaker houses'.

Their disappointment didn't bother Jordan as much as it used to, but a part of her still ached to for her parents pride in her accomplishments. If she had been given the opportunity to make things right, Jordan knew she would take it. 

"It's good to see you, Jo." Michael complimented quietly, adjusting his glasses before looking to her shyly.

Her answering smile was soft, but bright. "Likewise." 

An arm suddenly snaked around Jordan's shoulder giving her a jolt of surprise, and for good reason as the voice that followed gave her shivers. 

"You look well, Jordan." The one and only Malfoy boy commented as he swiveled around to face her. His icy blue eyes gave Jordan a sense of frostbite as the arm he held felt numb in his grasp. 

"As do you, Draco." Jordan added with a slight bow of her head. 

Something about that Malfoy boy made her feel unsettled inside. Possibly as a result of raging rumours and usual first impressions, yet with their families growing so close over the course of the summer break, she felt she had seen a new side of him - a side he hid from everyone else. It gave her hope for a change in heart for the boy; hope that she could make a difference in him. 

"How would you care to accompany me on the journey to Hogwarts, Jordan?" The Slytherin descendant asked charmingly, and for a moment, Jordan almost gave in.

Michael coughed however, pulling her out of her daze, "Umm, well I appreciate your offer but, Michael and I planned to sit together." She explained, seemingly embarrassed. 

Jordan could have swore she saw a twitch in the boy's eye, however he played it off with, "No matter. Perhaps another time." 

He gave a short smile before reaching out and pulling the red-head girl's hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on the skin before saying, "Until we meet again, Ms. Fraser." Draco then spun on his heel and walked off, but not without a short glare directed in Michael's direction as he addressed, "Klukovich."

The boy simply nodded in return as he was unsure of what else to do. However once the Slytherin had left from sight, Michael turned to Jordan with nothing but utter shock lacing his voice. 

"Care to explain that?"

Jordan coughed. "To be perfectly honest... I'm not quite sure." 

Not only was she unsure of what brought up the sudden need for such an encounter, but she was even more unsure of what the boy thought of her, or what she thought of him for that matter. Her parents seemed to be pushing the two of them together, yet her friends wanted more for them to be drawn apart, and she wasn't quite sure which pull was stronger. It was a constant battle of tug-of-war in her head ever since she met him a few months ago. 

The train whistle blew, echoing off all the concrete and stone as she quickly grabbed her things and rushed through the open doors, hiding her blushed cheeks from the Ravenclaw boy that followed. 

The two of them found an empty compartment after only a few moments of wandering, they settled in, tucking away their belongings and began getting comfortable. However Jordan's eye was caught by the tips of a familiar girl's white blonde hair swiftly disappearing into a compartment not far from their own. Jordan's face lit up before she hopped after the girl. 

Peeking her head into the neighboring compartment, Jordan found herself face to face with a familiar pair of pale violet eyes. 

"Jordan!"

The girl with the long, white blonde hair embraced Jordan into a tight, cobra-like hug that nearly squeezed the life out of her, but what else was she to expect from Willow Brodigan?

"Willow." Jordan forced out through compressed lungs. She let go of her death grip she called a hug to look her friend in the eyes, smiling brightly with pale lips and glimmering eyes that complimented her skin tone. 

Jordan met Willow during the sorting, and instantly bonded in the same night. Being in the same house, the two Slytherins got into plenty of trouble by themselves before making friends in any other houses; the part fae girl had a penchant for mischief, something that Jordan matched eagerly. 

"I've missed you!" Willow beamed. "Even though I saw you like, what was it... four days ago?" 

The girls giggled. 

Michael was next to poke his head around the corner, a smile spreading across his face in finding who else occupied the compartment. 

"Toby! Long time no see." He greeted with a firm hug to the sandy brown haired boy that stood there with the girls. 

"Great to see you, Michael!" Tobias agreed cheerily. 

"And hello to you too, Will." Michael said with a grin to the small blonde girl. 

The friendly four stood around and caught up for lost time the summer apart had stolen, exchanging stories and excitements for the coming year, however, they were suddenly swept off their feet however when the engines started up and the rusty metal wheels began to gain momentum. 

"Wait!" Willow hollered to the group, making everyone stop their chatter. "Where are Fawn and Tessa?"

"You haven't seen them?" Michael asked surprised.

"We assumed they were with you guys." Toby explained. 

Jordan worried, "We'll we haven't seen them either." 

The troubled air was abruptly interrupted with a distant voice yelling some foreign language in an angry tone. Such a voice was unmistakable. 

The four students stuck their heads out of the compartment, and much to their amusement, there came a short, curvy Colombian girl with tight dark ringlets springing wildly from her head. Trudging down the aisle, she rambled, "¡Mira lo que has hecho!" through grumbles and sighs she continued, "Por tu culpa casi perdimos el tren. Nunca volveré a viajar contigo."

"Well I'm sorry for having priorities!" The blonde girl behind her argued in a soft voice that really wasn't threatening. 

"Your priorities made us nearly miss the train! All because someone had to go back for her favourite pair of shoes!" Tessa De La Rosa, the dark skinned Gryffindor, grumbled accusingly. 

Fawn Bodner - the half Veela girl with honey blonde hair - gently elbowed the Colombian in the side, indiscreetly whispering to her, "I thought we agreed to tell them we went back for a textbook!" Her loose golden curls swung wildly at the movement.

Tessa gave her a deadpan stare. "No, Fawn. You agreed."

Willow was thoroughly amused by their banter, but couldn't help but interrupt the two. "Do I not get a hug?"

Fawn brightened at the fairy girl, revealing her charming dimples before rushing into her waiting arms. Tessa, though still slightly miffed, wrapped her dark skinned arms around the two of them. Both Fawn and Willow groaned under the tight grip of the Gryffindor girl, but grinned each other when she let go of them with a contagious smile spread across her face. 

"Why don't you all join us?" Willow invited the two along with Jordan and Michael who had already put away their things into another compartment. "There should be just enough room for all of us in here. Michael just might have to... cut off his freakishly long legs or something." She joked.

Jordan happily accepted the offer. "Great idea! Michael and I will go get our things." She said before turning around to gather her belongings from the neighboring booth, bringing Michael along as he grumbled before shouting back.

"Fine, but I am not amputating anything."

Willow then turned to the newly arrived pair. 

"You know I love you guys, but I need space the stretch my legs." Tessa confessed. "And besides, Fawn's trunk alone might just take up an entire bench."

Fawn blushed, looking down to the casing of all her belongings that was at least double the size of everyone else's. Who could argue?

Willow chuckled, "Fair enough. Just make sure you catch up with us in time to take the carriage with us."

"We'll be there." Tessa said with a wink.

>>> • <<<

The trip was long and dreary as the air outside was chilly and the windows foggy, yet it made for a comforting space for resting and reading in the safety of the warm and cozy little booths. Michael read silently with Jordan's head fallen lazily on his arm, an act of contact that kept the boy's shoulders tense up, while Willow lay snuggled up on Toby's lap as he played with her long, white, wavy hair.

The neverending rush of train wheels spinning against the tracks made a calming background noise that drowned out any weary breaths or distant chatter in the carts. A peaceful and familiar sound that lulled the girls to sleep. 

However, Jordan's mind spun with thoughts even in her slumber. She stirred as she saw an image of a face, painted on the canvas of her mind's eye. She easily recognized the face, it was Draco's, but it was slightly distorted as his eyes gleamed an unusual green and his teeth were sharpened like fangs with venom dripping from his lips. His skin was suddenly overcome with dark scales and a hiss echoed in her mind. She abruptly jolted awake when the snake-like creature jumped out at her. 

Michael was there to hold her tense body, keeping her from jumping off the seat, "Is everything alright?" He asked worriedly.

Jordan shook away her startlement, "Yeah, sorry. I'm fine." She said before leaning back into him, gently and discreetly, yet it was just enough to make her nerves calm slightly. Although she felt the boy sharply tense up at the contact, making her jolt away, feeling embarrassed that she had even tried.

It was clear to Jordan that the Ravenclaw boy had acquired feelings for her. She wasn't naive enough to let that fact slip her consciousness. Yet every time she seemed to get close, he pushed her away. Whether it was from his overwhelming fear or lack of readiness for such a step, it was a tiresome journey trying to break down that barrier he had built. 

Willow was suddenly sprung awake when she heard Fawn's excited cry from the booth next to their own. Despite her soft, quiet voice laced with a delicate british accent, she could be quite loud if she wanted to be, although she hardly ever was. 

"Look! We're almost there!" She cheered. Everyone then gathered around the window, watching enthusiastically as the lush, green, rolling hills fell into the distance and the grand, stone, Hogwarts castle slowly took their place, growing in size and brilliance with every beat of the train against the tracks. 

The group decided to gather their things and prepare for the departure; each to their own as they held their things eagerly by the compartment door just in time for the train to come to a screeching halt. 

Trying to gather belongings and make it off the train in one piece in the busy swarm of people was surely something to stress over, especially for someone like Jordan who couldn't see over the average person's shoulder. She had lost sight of her friends as she was left to walk blindly, following the crowd of people. Until however, she once again caught sight of Michael who towered above nearly everyone else, despite being only 14. 

Jordan reached out and grabbed his arm, he quickly whipped around to see who had grabbed a hold of him, clearly just as anxious about the situation as she was. Although when he discovered it was Jordan who had reached out, his features didn't show much of a relief, but instead kept his eyes on the ground to hide his flushed cheeks. In crossing his long limbs in front of him, he embarrassedly encouraged her to follow with a mere tilt of his head. 

Jordan's features furrowed.

The two found Toby, Willow, Fawn and Tessa awaiting them on the crowded platform when they finally emerged. Jordan was quick to notice Tobias standing oddly close to Willow. Her eyes then flickering down to their hands that were gently intertwined, as if trying to be discrete. The girl's purple eyes glittered brightly, and the corners of his mouth were tilted up as Toby looked down at her. They fit together so well, her wavy, white-blonde hair was even more delicate next to the light brown mess atop of Tobias's head, which towered over hers. 

Jordan couldn't help but smile softly as the two stood there, shy but sweet with unspoken love. Once they had spotted Michael and Jordan, the bashful couple along with Tessa and Fawn began to climb into the dark wood carriages drawn by seemingly nothing. 

Within moments, the ride to the castle was underway with excitement settling in their stomachs.

>>> • <<<

Cheerful chatter and lighthearted laughter echoed through the full, crowded dining hall as everyone entered for the year's first gathering. The amazingly high ceilings were decorated with elegant, floating candles and an allusion of dark skies, accented with enchanting clouds and stars risen to the peak of the great room. 

Long tables stretched to the farthest walls of the room filling the empty stone floors, each table decorated with differentiated colors separating the four houses. All of the students were quick to find seats as they eagerly waited for the food to appear, and even the first years settled into their new, welcoming houses. 

Jordan had her eyes practically glued on the ceiling, still in awe of its enchantment and beauty, even after becoming so familiar with it over the years, she still found herself enraptured by its power. 

She had barely made it a few paces through the entrance when she blindly stumbled into another student. In feeling the neighboring body go rigid, Jordan fumbled out a shaky apology which was drowned out by a voice broiling with annoyance, "Watch where you're going! You vile-" The voice stopped when he caught eyes with the red curly haired girl, "-Jordan." 

The blonde haired, blue eyed, Slytherin boy broke into a seemingly strained smile, forcing down the previous displeasure in a way that made Jordan's skin crawl. She couldn't manage to speak out a greeting, unsettlement wrestling in her stomach at Draco's initial greeting. Funny how his civility could shift so quickly determined by who he was talking to. 

The rest of the surrounding company however, felt a mixture of horrified, disgusted, and confused in watching the change in atmosphere when the notoriously prejudice Slytherin boy gazed into the eyes of the simple Jordan Fraser. 

Tessa in particular couldn't help but wonder what a boy like him could possibly want with a girl like her. 

Draco remained with his pale blue eyes locked onto hers, causing the company to grow more and more uncomfortable with every racing heart beat inside Jordan's chest. "Sorry about that," Draco finally said, breaking through the silence. "But I best be off. I hope I will being seeing you tonight, Jordan." The prideful boy said with a wink before strutting off to rejoin his house further down the Slytherin table.

Jordan's cheeks flushed to a violent shade of red as she kept her gaze locked onto the ground.

Willow rolled her eyes at his arrogance, despite being aware of the situation for months now, it didn't settle in her stomach any easier to this day.

Tessa began to chuckle to herself hysterically, unsure of how else to process. As for Fawn, her curiosity burst out of her mouth "Draco!? Really? Jordan, he is no good!" 

Fawn had a personal distaste for the particular Malfoy descendant. When he wasn't sneering at Potter, he was ridiculing her for her Potion struggles and Veela heritage. Despite her unwavering ability to see the good in others, she struggled endlessly to find the better parts of that snake.

Jordan quickly dispelled all of her friends wild conclusions. "He's only being friendly because of our parents. Honestly, it's all their fault. Dinners, Balls, then the Quidditch Cup at the end of the summer..."

"What!? The one with the Dark Mark in the sky?" 

Jordan hurried to assure Willow. "We weren't hurt, the Malfoy's bought a summer manor there were we fled to."

Willow didn't seem comforted. "I'm not worried about the Malfoy's safety, I'm worried about what he was doing that night, or even worse, his father!"

A cold wave swept over Jordan's skin at the not-so-subtle jab at the Malfoys' purist ways. "I'm done talking about this, there's nothing going on." 

Tessa and Michael protest as Jordan links arms with Willow to lead her to the Slytherin table without bothering to explain herself further. Once sat down however, Willow turns to the redhead with a stern look in her lilac eyes. "Jordan, listen. Draco is poisonous. His whole family is!"

"It's just because of our families, don't worry, Willow."

Willow still looked doubtful. "I just want you to be careful. Draco is charming - and more cunning than anyone gives him credit for."

Jordan could feel it in her stomach, the truth in her words. In her chest there was the dark coil of knowledge, deep foreboding. "I know." She could see that every time she looked into his cool blue eyes. "I'll be careful."

 

Word count: 3095


	3. Visitors

Jordan rips her thoughts away from those icy Slytherin boy's eyes when Dumbledore approaches the podium at the front of the Great Hall. The tables fall silent when the great wizard opened his mouth. 

"This castle will not only be your home this year, but also home to some very special guest." His voice boomed throughout the grand space, echoing off the high ceilings. The hall stays quiet, but the excitement is tangible in the air around the students. "Now please welcome, the Beauxbaton School for Witches!"

The students sat watching in awe and adoration as Beauxbatons entered the grand hall. The girls introduced themselves through an intricate and elegant dance with a beautiful girl with golden blonde hair and glowing fair skin leading them. She must have been part Veela, Willow thought to herself. The girl closely resembled Fawn, whose mother was fully Veelan.

"And now," Dumbledore rumbled, "Durmstrang Wizarding School!"

The students all howled and applauded, but Willow's excitement surpassed everyone else's. She only had one thing, one person on her mind: her brother, Oak Brodigan. Boys wearing fur coats barged through the large, dark wooden door, bearing staffs that slammed into the ground rhythmically. Willow saw her brother's curly brown hair, and waved at him. Oak winked back at her before throwing himself into an impressive aerial stunt at which brought Hogwarts and Beauxbatons to chaos. 

It was a miracle that the wise headmaster managed to quiet the entire hall. Only when there was absolute silence did Dumbledore speak. "Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event - the Triwizard Tournament." 

At his words, all of the students shifted restlessly. Bubbling excitement spilled out of the students in hushed whispers, and Dumbledore called for quiet once more. 

"Due to the dangers of this tournament, the Ministry of Magic has decided that all of the champions must be over 17 to compete."

This time and overwhelming roar of disappointment swept the hall, and Jordan could distinctly hear the Weasley twins booing. It tooks several minutes and a sharp command to return order to the students. 

"If chosen, there is no turning back." The students sober up, features ranging from worried to determined. Willow sought her brother's face in the crowd, and when she found it she saw the iron resolve in the competition. 

"From this moment, the Triwizard Tournament has begun."

Dumbledore's voice rang over the tables, and everyone one sat frozen. Then food appeared on the tables, and like a broken spell students began to chatter as they filled their plates. 

Willow felt her excitement for the competition become overshadowed by worry. Her brother could never resist a challenge, or a chance to prove himself. The glory and money were only a bonus in Oak's mind. 

Her thoughts however were abruptly interrupted when a large, firm hand patted her on the shoulder making her nearly jump out of her skin. She didn't have to turn to discover who it was as the boy sat between her and Jordan with his arms stretched around them both. 

"My dear sister." He said with a charming smile facing over to her.

"Oak!" She greeted in response before embracing him in a tight hug. "I've missed you!" She said to the boy. 

Willow and Oak were separated into different schools of wizarding when the acceptance letters came. Their many miles away from each other made for a sad separation, but a happy reunion. 

Jordan however, felt differently. She thought it best that the boy was often separated from her as she saw him as a poor influence - and it didn't help that Willow praised him for his wits and confidence despite his destructive arrogance. Jordan watches tentatively from the corner of her eye as Oak turns to his little sister saying, "You've grown to be so beautiful." He unknowingly tucks a lock of her white blonde hair behind her pointed, fairy-like ear. 

Willow is quick to cover up the abnormality by pulling the hair out from the sides of her face. Oak notices her frantic movement as he brings his voice to a whisper, speaking in their traditional fairy language, "Why must you still hold onto this fear, sister?"

She replies similarly, "These people are much less welcoming to our kind than Durmstrang."

Oak showed a look of sympathy for his sister as he went through the same fear of acceptance for years. He wanted nothing more for his sister than to feel the overwhelming pride that he felt. Anyone could see his assurance in his heritage, with his long shaggy hair pulled back into a messy bun - revealing his pointed ears. He had intricate brown leather straps lacing his wrists, laden with charms and traditional fairy symbols. Enchanted ink traced his skin, the wood grain pattern peeking out from underneath his dark sleeves. To draw attention to his shifting, kaleidoscope eyes that were currently a vibrant green in excitement, he had pierced his right eyebrow with a steel stud. 

Oak clearly commanded the attention of many, including the pure-blooded Slytherins. Willow could already see other Slytherins exchanging glances and whispers down the table. Irritation bubbled up inside her, but she forced it down. It wasn't Oak's fault, or the pureblood Slytherins, it just was. It just was old prejudice, it was a taught behavior, it was pride - it was just plain stupid.

Oak glanced at her, sensing her change in mood the way he always did. "We'll talk about this later." 

>>> • <<<

After a long trudge from the Great Hall, Draco approached the girls within the first minute of their arrival in the common room. A prideful strut and a malicious smirk decorating his features as he spoke. 

"Strange language you and your brother speak, Brodigan." Malfoy curiously puzzled with a lifted eyebrow. "It's almost as if it's inhuman." He chuckled to himself. "Care to quench my curiosity?"

"It should be no concern of yours." Jordan said sternly as she took a protective step in front of Willow. "It's a family matter." Draco looked at Jordan mildly confused.

"I was just curious about his ears, what is up with that?" Draco laughed along with the two brainless friends shadowing him. 

Willow shoves Jordan behind her with fury burning in her eyes, her hands clenched into painful fists as she speaks out in a sore and raspy threat. "Mind your own damn business, Malfoy."

Although instead of the anticipated growl, the Slytherin boy let out a laugh, cold and emotionless. Willow's spine went rigid.

Draco took a step in closer to the tempered girl as if to tease her; test her. She fought hard not to let her anger get the best of her.

Draco abruptly reached out, catching Willow of guard as he forcefully pulled on her delicate hair away from her face exposing her strangely shaped ear. Willow winced in pain, although Draco had no intention of letting go as he discovered that the girl had the same pointed ears as her brother. 

Draco, along with Crabbe and Goyle, laughed hysterically, finding humour in what appeared to be misshapen. "What are you?" Crabbe asked mockingly.

"And her eyes too!" Goyle pointed out, "Look, they're purple!" The three boys continued to laugh until Willow had finally managed to break free and swing a punch at the snickering Malfoy boy. 

"Willow!" Jordan finally spoke up, but not to defend her. 

Draco reacted quickly enough for Willow's punch to miss his fragile nose, although she still managed to grazed his cheek bone which began to bruise shortly after.

However, before Willow could through another punch, Jordan stepped in front of her.

"Stop it, Willow. You'll only get yourself in trouble." 

The sternness and severity in Jordan's voice caused the blonde girl to twitch in an unnatural stillness, her fists quivered under the strength of her clench until her palms became indented with the shape of her nails. 

After a silent grunt, Willow whipped around, storming away to her and Jordan's shared dorm with a bitter taste in her mouth. Crabbe and Goyle could be heard laughing at her as her feet carried her away.

"You better run, freak!" Crabbe called after her.

"House elf!" Goyle laughed, at her as she reached her dorm door. 

Slamming the door behind her, Willow stomped her way to the bathroom, taking a stance in front of the mirror. She watched her reflection tuck a lock of platinum blonde hair behind one of her fairy shaped ears. 

Willow fought to keep down the tears that were rising up in her eyes. She hated them, how the slightly pointed tips seemed to catch the attention of every prying eye, how they made her stick out from everyone else, and how it made her feel so out of place. They were a constant reminder that she could never be normal, that she would always be different - never to fit in. 

She always wore her hair down, concealing them from people of prejudice, from people like Draco. Although her efforts weren't enough as her secret was now revealed. 

Her heartbeat was a vicious pulsing in the heat as the raging blood flooding her limbs. Willow felt as though she couldn't control her body as she let out a yell before pulling her wand out on the mirror. Brilliant white-blue sparks lit the room as the looking glass shattered into a million pieces. 

>>> • <<<

"That was cruel, Draco." Jordan remarks with a glare as she listens to Willow march up the stairs.

The boy apathetically shrugs, "I guess you're right. I'm just curious is all. You must tell me what type of breed she is." He finished with a snicker.

Jordan crosses her arms disapprovingly, "Draco, I'm serious."

The boy grabbed a gentle hold of her elbows that were still crossed in front of her, "You're right. Accept my apology, Jordan. It won't happen again."

Jordan nodded, slightly surprised by his sincere apology - at least as sincere as a Malfoy could muster. 

"Now," He spoke out after Crabbe and Goyle had left, "Would you care to have a seat with me? We haven't had much time to talk since the Quidditch World Cup this summer."

The frustration against him that lingered in the back of her mind became less and less overpowering with every moment that passed between them. She soon gave in. "I guess it couldn't hurt." Without a second thought, Jordan lowers herself onto a lavish sofa in front of a crackling fireplace. 

The soft, evergreen velvet sunk slightly beside her a Draco joins, and she breaks the hesitant silence. "So," She started, "the Triwizard Tournament, huh?"

"What a year it's going to be." He chuckled and shook his head, his white blond hair flopping in his face ever so gently. 

"That it is, especially with all these students from other schools here." Jordan could feel Draco's pleading eyes on her, begging to be seen. She looked intently at the fire to rid her mind of racing thoughts and keep her from being charmed by his gaze; Draco had the grace of a prince and the cunning of a serpent. Instead of looking at his hypnotic eyes, Jordan admired how the flames danced with grace and elegance; how the tips licked every corner of the surrounding stone and how something so peaceful could so easily grow to be something so violent.

"Would you enter? If you could I mean."

She blew a strand of red hair out of her face, shaking herself from the trance. "No, I've never been one for eternal glory. There is better things to do with my time than avoid dying for it anyways." She turned to look at him then. "Would you?"

Draco's reaction was as she expected. "Of course." He scoffed, but then tilted his head in thought. "Well, I might reconsider if there was someone who was truly worried about me. Some people are worth more than eternal glory."

Jordan's answering smile was genuine, as she examined his features; they seem softer in the firelight. The shape of his eyes and the way his lips curled in the slightest way made her feel like someone truly appreciated her. She decided how nice it was to have someone show genuine interest in her in the simplest of ways.

The two of them stayed in the companionable quiet until the hearth was only smoldering embers, and they were the only ones left in the common room. Reluctantly Jordan rose to her feet, feeling the icy blue eyes on her form.

"I really should go. I still need to get settled in, after all." Jordan smiled softly, heading up the stairs despite Draco's protest. 

After a short goodbye, she quietly entered the dorm room to the sound of the shower running behind the bathroom door. Jordan gave little thought to Willow however as she smiled to herself, reflecting back on her conversation with Draco. Thoughts of him flooded her mind as she sat down on her bed.

She suddenly felt guilty, for thoughts of Michael overcame those of Draco. Despite the boy's intentions with her being so unclear, a part of Jordan still hoped for something between them. Yet here she was, developing feelings for this snake. 

She knew that the Malfoy boy could never accept Oak, or Willow for their heritage. It made her mind spin to the remainder of her friends, with Tessa being a halfblood, Fawn being a Veela descendant and Toby being born a mere mudblood, she came to the startling realization that Draco would never accept any of them! He was just like her parents, a filthy purest. 

With a small guilty sigh, she shook the unsettling feeling from her mind and brought her attention to the unopened mail sitting on her bed. She had received a daily prophet, and a letter from her parents with a small package. Curiosity spiked at the sign of their names on the white envelope, it was not often that she received any recognition from her Mother and Father. She tore open the letter and immediately recognized her Mother's neat cursive writing.

Dear Jordan,

We are writing to you to as a crucially important task of you; you will do as we say if you hope to gain honor from us and bring pride to your family, as well as keep yourself safe. Your Father and I are demanding that you get closer to Mr. Draco Malfoy; he must come before any other acquaintances you may have. We believe that him and his family will help you later on in the year. All you must do is wear the ring attached to this letter so that him and the other students involved will be aware your place in the movement and with who your allegiance lies. If you have any questions, ask him, he will assist you. Please do this for us darling, make us proud.

Sincerely, your Parents.

A tidal wave of questions came crashing down on her. Why would they ask this of her? Who were the other students involved? Why must she wear the ring? 

Willow pierced through Jordan's thoughts as she exited the bathroom wearing her pajamas with wet hair dripping down her shoulders. Jordan frantically struggled to hide the letter.

"What's that?" She asked pointing to the package. "Who's it from?" She asked curiously. Even though it was a relatively normal question, Willow had an undertone of annoyance in her voice. Weather it was from the previous incident or her secrecy, Jordan didn't know.

She hesitated before saying, "It's from my parents." 

"What about?" Willow questioned immediately. She knew that her parents rarely wrote to her, only at Christmas. She assumed something must be very wrong if her parents would write to her at a time like such as this.

"It doesn't matter." She threw the letter in the small fire they had at the head of the room where it was quickly swallowed by the flames. Her Mother's words turned to ash in a matter of seconds.

Willow was taken aback, "So what, you're just going to start shutting me out?" She scoffed. "I'm your best friend, Jordan. I know better than anyone that your parents don't write to you - not unless they want something. I know that must be frustrating and I can't always help, but I still want you to tell me." She said frustrated and slightly angry, but beyond that, she was more hurt than anything. 

"Not this time, I'm sorry." Jordan whispered, unable to look at her friend. She figured she needed to talk to Draco: to get some answers before dragging her friends into the mess.

And as if Willow could read her mind, she stated flatly, "But you're going to tell Draco. Aren't you." Willow knew by the wavering of Jo's stance that she had guessed correctly. 

Jordan's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. How was she supposed to respond to that? 

"Even after he exposed my heritage and mocked me for it!" Willow raised her voice. "All because you fancy him! You even had the nerve to spend quality time with him afterwards, not giving a second thought about me."

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it like, Jordan? There's something off about you. You've been acting different ever since you met him. Please just talk to me." Willow look both hurt and confused, her face a mask of betrayal.

Jordan sighed, not out of frustration, but because she knew she couldn't hide this from her best friend. "Look, Willow. My parents are just pushing their expectations on me again. I just need to figure this out for myself before I start dragging my closest friends into it with me." Jordan cautiously took a step closer to her, unable to decipher Willow's emotions at the distance. "I hope that you'll respect my privacy, Will. I promise, I'll tell you when I'm ready. I just need time."

Her heart pounded violently against her rib cage, waiting in suffocating silence for Willow's response.

"Okay, Jo." She finally said. "I trust you."

A breath of relief escaped Jordan's lips. "Thank you." They exchanged gratifying expressions, indicating that the argument was over.

The girls then turned away and started getting ready for bed in tentative silence. They slipped under their sheets, and Willow leaned to blow out the bedside candle. Before the room was plunged into darkness, Willow murmurs, "Just remember, Jordan, I was your friend before Malfoy."

With that breath the flame flickered out, and Jordan lay in the darkness for a painfully long time, tossing and turning in her sheets with the echo of her unspoken words thundering around in her skull.

'I know. I know. I know.'

 

 

 

Word Count: 3118


	4. Unforgivable Curses

Willow sits comfortably in her desk, although she can't keep her leg from bouncing. She finds herself bored when the Professor hadn't even entered the class room yet, let alone begun the lesson. Beside her, Jordan slumps in her seat lazily twiddling with the ring her parents had mailed to her. Willow notices the unfamiliar ring at the back of her mind, although no further thought of it is brought to the forefront as she glances around the rest of the remaining room, before turning to find Tessa settling into a seat across the room. In watching her also hunch boredly at her desk, an idea soars into Willow's mind on a pair of paper wings. 

An excited smile glows on her face as she begins to fold up a piece of parchment with the single word, 'howdy' written across it. With a quick wave of her wand the butterfly-like paper creation takes flight, flapping its way over to Tessa's desk, but not before grazing a certain Slytherin boy's white hair, messing it up into tangles before landing gracefully in Tessa's hands. 

The girls giggle at Draco's misfortune, although Jordan remains blank-faced, staring out onto the wall in front of her seemingly unaware of the situation. Her mind thunders with thoughts and questions of her parent's letter. 

Part of her felt infuriated that they would ask such a thing of her, 'why should I even listen to them anyway?' she asks herself. She feels as though she owes them nothing, for all they ever do is ridicule her for her 'poor' choices and horrible mistakes, so why would this time be any different? 

Tessa, who sits on the far diagonal end from her and Willow, finally finishes her own paper creature, and with the help of Hermione who sat beside her, it took the form of a dove. It elegantly glides over onto Willow's lap, and she unfolds it to read the words, 'How do ya do'. Willow cheerfully chuckles to herself before quickly starting on another new creation that, when hexed, shaped itself like an eagle with huge wings that outstretched her own arm span. The bird soared over to Tessa, and with Willow's wide smile, the cycle started again. 

Jordan however had still failed to notice the large and extravagant tactic of note passing as the battle in her mind continued. She had quite enjoyed Draco's presence at the World Cup Championships when she saw him last that summer, she had no reason to entirely disobey her parents' wishes and cut him out of her life. 

Despite his horrible reputation and nack for prejudice behavior, Draco was a good person, and it seemed that Jordan was the only person that saw that in him. She felt a certain responsibility for the boy, for if she didn't care for him, who would? 

For his sake, Jordan would become close with Draco, but not for whatever purpose her parents wanted her to. She would change Draco, she would change him for the better and prove to her parents that she was not a pawn for them to play with. Besides, the restless butterflies in her stomach became something more, who was she to stop them getting closer? 

In finally catching onto Willow's and Tessa's elaborate and highly ineffective form of communication, Jordan watched with wide eyes as a large paper dragon flew across the room, landing on students desks to stomp about, only to launch into the air again and shoot miniature columns of flame. As a elaborate silver blonde hair style was signed, a chorus of mischievous giggles could barely be heard over a high-pitched yelp. 

Professor Moody then abruptly trudged through the doors to the classroom, dragging his fake leg along with him as he shot down the paper creation mid leap. The ashes fell limply onto Jordan's desk, who hurriedly brushed them off. After a tense, menacing march down one of the aisles, Moody stood at the head of the room; he stared down his students until they were dead silent before introducing himself in a short, snappy manner. 

"Allister Moody." He states as he writes his name on the small chalkboard at the head of the room. "I'm your new 'Defense Against the Dark Arts' teacher. I am here because Dumbledore asked me. End of story, goodbye, the end."

He glares at the class as they dumbfoundedly stare back, "Any questions?" 

The room remains silent; Willow assumed out of fear, or possibly from confusion. Taking the silence for a definite no, Mad-Eye carries on. 

The Professor spins to write in scrappy penmanship on the chalkboard. The students sit still and shocked at the scratched words when Moody turns again to snap, "The three Unforgivable Curses. What are they?"

The stiff silence is broken by Ron's tentative words, "Well, there's one I heard from my dad. The Imperius curse."

Moody lets out a sound of realization. "He would know about that wouldn't he? Working for the Ministry, of course." With a sinister jab of his wand, he muttered the spell. Much to the students delight, the bug tapped his limbs in a merry dance against the wood of the desk. The roar of amusement grew when the insect jumped onto Neville in the front row, its body still prancing. 

Moving from the Gryffindor boy the little beast landed on Draco, who immediately panicked. Laughter burst wildly from the young witches and wizards while Mad-Eye giggled manically. 

The bug was then forced over to the windowsill as Professor Moody laughed, "Talented isn't she? What should I have her do next? Jump out the window?" The classes mood sombered as his did, he brought his voice to a deep state as he continued, "Drown herself?" The creature squirmed over a cauldron, desperately trapped inside of its own body.

The class waited in a stirring silence for him to continue. With patience he finally spoke after bringing the insect back into his palm, "Scores of witches and wizards have claimed that they only did, you-know-whos bidding, under the influence of the Imperious curse. But, how do we sort out the liars?"

Willow suddenly felt cold, like all the warmth of her blood had been drained. Under the iron grasp of the spell, there is no control over one's own body. They could be made to do anything - sell secrets to the enemy, kill themselves, torture their own family, betray close friends. 

The rough Professor quickly moved on in asking for another one of the unforgivable curses. 

Picking on Neville who sat in the front row, he eventually gave the name the second curse, "There's the... um, the Cruciatus curse." 

"Correct! Correct!" He awarded the weary boy, "Come." 

Neville hesitantly stood and followed the Professor to the front of the class where the bug sat peacefully on the table. "Particularly nasty," Moody explained, "The torture curse."

As he spoke the words with his wand aimed, the insect began to squirm and scream in evident pain. Shrieks filled the room, and the staring students cringed. Neville flinched harshly, his features screwed up tightly on his paling face; it looked as if he was under the curse himself. Hermione finally spoke up in a desperate cry, "Stop it! Can't you see it's bothering him!? Stop it!"

Moody looked to Neville shocked, before discontinuing the spell of torture. He coughed, clearly unsure of how to apologize, although he let the boy sit down as he gently picked up the bug once again. The professor walk awkwardly down the aisle with his unsteady gait, bringing the critter to the desk Hermione and Tessa shared. 

"Perhaps you could give us the last unforgivable curse, Miss Granger." The witch simply shook her head, eyes fixated on her desk. Her reaction did not keep him from shouting, "Avada Kedavra!" 

There is a flash of poison green light, leaving the creature deathly still. The class sat in that same stillness, so quiet that heartbeats could be heard.

"The killing curse." The mad teacher rasped. "Only one person is known to have survived it, and he's sitting in this room." Professor Moody then advanced on the Potter boy that sat across the row from Tessa, she swallowed hard as her body shivered violently. She assumed Harry did the same. 

"Class dismissed." 

The students unsteadily rose, hurrying to leave the claustrophobic space. Before Neville could leave however, Mad-eye roughly called for him to stay. Willow shivered, not envying the Gryffindor boy in the slightest. 

The majority of the students couldn't help but feel unsettled as the lesson as the lesson ended abruptly. Willow in particular found the new teacher notably unusual, not only in teaching style but in personality as well. Part of her felt as though Professor Moody couldn't be trusted, and for a moment, she questioned Dumbledore's judgment.

Willow turns to Jordan to discuss her suspicions, although, the petite, curly haired girl had already gathered her things and begun to walk off. 

"Jordan, wait up." She called after her, although the girl didn't so much as turn her head.

Willow watched as Jordan walked up to Draco's desk, a knot forming in her stomach as Draco's mouth curled up into what might have been seen as a smile. She didn't hear what Jordan said to him, but she didn't have to. 

The two walked off, hip to hip. Willow had spent so much time trying to hide from the prying slit-pupils of pure-blooded Slytherins with forked tongues dripping silvery gossip, but this was the first time she felt truly invisible. 

She had however, never considered invisibility came at the cost of her best friend.

>>> • <<<

After a long afternoon with the infamous Malfoy boy, Jordan decides to break off as the sun begins to set. She eventually settles into a little nook tucked beside a window with a quill and parchment in hand. Although the darkness of the early night surrounds her, a small lamp shines brightly enough to allow her see. 

A silence and stillness landed in the library where she sat. With the new year still freshly set in motion, there wasn't much need for book study, which left the place empty besides the librarian that was sat comfortably at the entrance. Jordan herself had no obligation for studying, she simply required a space that would be free of judgment and nagging questions from the worried fairy girl she shared a dorm with. 

The first words written on the little piece of parchment she had brought read, 'Dearest Mother and Father'. 

Jordan tapped her quill to her temple, searching for a way to tell her parents of her allegiance. 

Her mind wandered, thinking of all the years her Mother and Father had spent disregarding and disapproving of her decisions and desires. A spark of pride flared within her mind in imagining their approval through a simple task such as this. 

With years of feeling as though she could never meet their standards, now an opportunity to change such a mindset was placed straight into her hands. A small smile forms on her lips at the thought. 

"What's that charming smile for?" 

Jordan shook herself from her daze to find herself looking straight into the rich chocolate eyes of a beaming Ravenclaw boy. 

"Michael," Jordan said in a state of slight surprise and confusion, "What are you doing here? It's quite late."

"I should be asking you the same question." He charmed as he sat down across from her.

Jordan, who was anxious to draw his attention from her letter, said, "Well I happened to ask you first, so go on, let's hear your excuse." 

Michael gave a soft laugh before shaking his head and giving in, "You know me, Jordan. I just had to get first pick on the astronomy books." He held up an old, worn book that read, 'Astronomy - The Art of Reading the Stars.' "I spent nearly all of my third year tracking this down, but it was always in the hands of some other wizard. Thought I'd get a head start."

Jordan giggled at his antics, "You are such a nerd."

"So I've been told." He rolls his eyes. 

"Don't worry Michael," Jordan puts a hand on his arm, "I love your geeky tendencies." She teases with a smile that glows in the darkness of the library. 

The boy looks to her, prepared to ask her the mimicking question, although his words got stuck in his throat as their eyes met. Her words lingering in the air above them as he examines the girl. Her softly curled lips, her fair skin decorated with delicate freckles, her naturally curling eyelashes that frame her deep green eyes. She has eyebrows that perfectly shape her face and crazy curly locks that hang messily in a copper-red colour. Her short stature brings more definition and fullness to her figure as her clothing fits slightly oversized in way that brings Michael's lips to curl. 

Jordan watches him, watching her in admiration. She can't quite place the look he has in his eyes, it's a foreign and distant feeling that lingers in the back of her mind as he reaches his hand out to tuck a fallen lock of red hair back into place on her head. 

Michael seems to delay, instead of bringing his hand back to his side it hangs at the side of Jordan's face, still holding the lock of hair. 

Thoughts spun in Jordan's mind, wondering what the intentions of the boy were. Whatever kept the two from a moment like this in the past, seemed to be a distant memory as Michael sat with her in that moment. She quarreled with the possibility of the Ravenclaw boy finally being ready to be something more than friends. 

Jordan reaches up to his hand with her own, holding his wrist without breaking their gazes that intertwined between them. The moment however, is lost when her long sleeve slips, revealing the ring she had received from her parents. 

Michael seems to trip over his breath as his hand drops from her face and grips her wrist where the green ring holds onto her pointer finger. Jordan swallows hard when the boy doesn't speak a work, but instead stares at the simple piece of jewelry she had been given only the previous night.

The brown haired boy squints through his glasses, he recognizes the ring distinctly; it is the mark of a Slytherin fully devoted to a cause, even if that cause leads to death. He studied it in Astronomy as there were myths that each ring was named after a star when they were originally made, although very few others would recognize it as anything besides a mark of an allegiance. He's seen it been paraded by witches and wizards of every house ever since he had first joined Hogwarts, but never expected to see it on the hand of Jordan Fraser.

"Jordan," He finally spoke, looking up to her with flashing concern. "Where did you get this? Do you have any idea what this is?"

All Jordan could manage to respond with was a shrug, surprised by the boy's sudden interest in a simple silver ring.

"It was from your parent's wasn't it?" He guessed correctly.

"Well, yes. But I don't know what it's for exactly." She wasn't technically lying, she truthfully didn't know what the allegiance was for, or what she was expected to do. She made no effort to say anything but the truth, for she knew she couldn't lie to him. It was a quality he picked up shortly after they had met; no matter how good she thought she was at hiding the truth, he always saw right through her.

He seemed to see the truth in her words as he speaks quietly and carefully, "Whatever they want you to do, Jordan, don't do it. This is some dark stuff you're playing with."

Jordan furrowed her brows slightly, "I know what I'm doing, Michael. And besides, you have no right to make decisions for me." Annoyance flashed briefly in the redhead. She already had Willow monitoring all of her movements with Draco, now Jordan had to worry about Michael lecturing her over a ring. The ring her parents had sent her, the only olive branch they've extended in the last three years; it was the chance she had been waiting for to restore her parents faith in her. 

Jordan drew away minutely from the Ravenclaw boy, but brown brows furrowed as his sharp eyes caught the motion. A tension settled between the blooming couple, rooting itself firmly in the space that separated them. 

Things are changing. The words sprung up quickly in Jordan's head, and she did not try to stomp them. She was changing into something bigger. Something better. Their friendship could not stay the way it was, but it was seeming like Michael just couldn't keep up. If he would not try to keep her, than she certainly would not aim to be kept, especially from her full potential.

Michael needed to change with her, or Jordan would be forced to leave him behind. 

 

 

 

Word count: 2854


	5. The Champion Selection

That day held the announcement of the champions and it dragged on for what seemed like an eternity; everyone could feel the tension that settled in the hallways and classrooms of Hogwarts. When dinner finally came and went, everyone sat in anticipation, waiting to hear the three champions that were to been chosen for the tournament. It felt like the anxiety hovered in a dense cloud where Willow, Jordan and Draco sat at the Slytherin table. 

Willow sent darting glances towards her grinning brother across the way, trying to quell the rising nausea within her. All through dinner she had picked idly at her food, excusing the heavy sickness and concern for her brother's participation in the dangerous games that were to be held. 

She remembered the heavy pit in her stomach as the same feeling she had felt watching Oak drop his paper into the blue flames of the Goblet. His grin of victory was nothing like the dark dread that rose in her throat, and settled on her chest. 

In a moment everyone had been aching for, Dumbledore stood at the front of the hall, silence following him as he went. Willow pushed down the sickness to focus on his booming words.

"Now, the Goblet of Fire will choose the contestants for the Triwizard Tournament." The audience erupted into a round of applause and everyone's eyes shifted to gaze upon the magnificent greystone goblet. The detail carved into the surface of the cup gave it a rough look that complimented the raw beauty of it. Cool blue flames blazed in a raging fury atop of the rim, sending a shock wave of excitement into the hearts of all its admirers. All except for Willow.

Willow felt herself get goosebumps along with the same gut wrenching feeling as before as Dumbledore cautiously stretched his hand out to the scarlet flames and caught the first piece of parchment as it flew into the air, displaced by the magic goblet. 

"Our first champion," Dumbledore announced in a booming voice, "is Fleur Delacour from Beauxbatons!" The school of French witches exploded in congratulations. Willow let out a short breath of relief in looking to the winner, Fleur. She was the same part-Veela girl that she had noticed when the Beauxbatons first arrived at Hogwarts in all of their splendor. 

The grand hall slowly quieted and waited for the next victor. The Goblet spit out another name, and catching it Dumbledore read out in a clear, loud voice, "Oak Brodigan from Durmstrang!" Oak whooped in victory which did not help Willow's feeling of illness. She didn't quite understand the feeling she held, for her and Oak had accomplished dangerous stunts and adventures countless times over the years; it left the girl puzzled. 

The Durmstrang students roared in approval, and there were quite a few from the Hogwarts masses that cheered as well. Oak seemed to have gained popularity from both of the schools in his few short days at the castle, which was no surprise to those that knew him. His charming demeanor and friendly stature made him instantly beloved by all, getting a little extra attention from a few swooning witches. 

Finally a third piece of parchment paper appeared and the whole mass of students and teachers sat on the edge of their seats. "And from Hogwarts," Jordan and Willow held their breath, as Dumbledore spoke "We have Cedric Diggory." 

Jordan, furrowed her brow. In all honesty, the redhead had been expecting a Slytherin victor, or at least a Gryffindor. It came as a surprise to her that a mere Hufflepuff student would have enough bravery to even consider the position. She shook her head slightly to try and clear her head of such thoughts, for she had only then realized how similar her thoughts were becoming to her parents'; too close for her liking. 

Willow watched her brother smile and wave as he and the other champions made their way to the front of the great hall and were lead into a seperate room by McGonagall. The mass of Witches and Wizards applauded with cheers and yells as they left, and the mood of the big room was uplifted with victory. 

However, before Dumbledore had a chance to return to the head table, the brightly burning blue flame turned a raging radiant red once again, growing to three times its usual height once again to spit out another shred of paper. Everyone waited in a silent and confused restlessness, awaiting the fourth name that would be read out. 

Dumbledore grabbed a hold of the drifting parchment, looking to it with furrowed brows and a whisper of disbelief in his mind. "Harry Potter." He spoke out quietly and hesitantly. However when the Gryffindor boy refused to stand despite hearing his voice, he called out again in a booming tone that thundered throughout the hall, making the boy who lived shiver in his skin. 

Harry was practically pushed to his feet as he shuffled over hesitantly, just as confused about the situation as everyone else. He took the same path as the other three champions down to Dumbledore's office, weaving through the crowds' soft whispers as all eyes clung to his every step. 

"How does Potter manage to cause trouble everywhere he goes?" Draco whispered to Jordan who sat silently at his side.

As Harry disappears behind the head table and into a back room, Professor Dumbledore gives a short message of dismissal before following the rest of the competitors. The hall breaks into chatter the moment he is gone, each student wondering how Harry had managed to get in, three years younger than what was required. 

"Harry sure is going to get a hard time for this." Willow mumbled. The fae girl did not expect sympathy from Jordan - who had always hated the constantly praised boy - but the blonde did not foresee the dark response,

"Good." Jordan responded harshly, "It's about time that boy gets some recognition for his stupidity. He really doesn't deserve the praise he gets."

Draco agreed, "The fact that he survived the death curse was pure luck! He had no power in the situation."

"Maybe if we're fortunate enough, the boy who lived will finally run out of luck during this tournament." Jordan scoffed as she stood up along with all the other rushing students.

The enquiry made Willow feel a twitch of unsettlement; that was a harsh even for Jordan's dark sense of humour. She trailed behind the Slytherin pair as they began to walk the halls, Willow couldn't help but stare daggers at the floor as her mind was swarming with thoughts.

"I didn't know Oak entered, Willow." Jordan changed the subject, "How do you feel about that?" Jordan was an only child, and in this moment she felt a brief flash of relief that she was, unsure of how the whirlwind of complicated opinions would take a toll on her mind if she did have a sibling that entered.

Willow shrugged, but before she could answer, Draco spoke, "I'd be worried if I were you. He seems like the type that would barely make it through the first challenge." He humoured himself. 

Willow grinded her teeth together, frustration boiling in her veins. She struggled to speak clearly through her clenched teeth, "So you think."

"Come on, Brodigan, a half wizard has no chance against a pureblood. Even you must be aware of that." He concluded after Jordan sent a sharp elbow to his side. He winced slightly, but it was followed by a laugh. 

The serpent boy then snaked his arm around the red-haired girl, smiling as he said, "Don't fight me on this, we both know I'm right."

Jordan rolled her eyes at his arrogance, but made no effort defend Willow's stance. The fairy felt her heart constrict violently. 

Willow quickly became bored of third wheeling, watching Jordan slump into the darkness, and being Draco's humour target, so she left the pair without a trace, her body flooding with feelings of frustration and anger.

Jordan had so quickly fallen into the hands of the Slytherin boy, without a second thought about the girl that had continually stood at her side. All she could do was sit and watch the painfully slow process of being traded in for someone that only cared for himself. Willow wasn't sure how long she could bare to watch. 

The distance between Willow and Jo seemed to get larger and larger with every step closer Jordan got to Draco, yet Willow still did everything she could to show her support for her best friend's decisions. She trusted her after all, and would give her time and space just as she said she would, although her patience was wearing thin as she watched the two walk off without a second thought about the girl they had left behind.

>>> • <<<

Fawn's mind was scrambled, feeling a bundle of conflicting emotions concerning the Triwizard Tournament while losing Tessa in the crowd left her to wander aimlessly. 

She felt excited that a Hufflepuff student had been chosen for the challenge, that her house might just have a chance at proving their bravery and relevance to the school of prude, prejudice people. On the other hand however, she felt sorry for Harry. He clearly looked terrified as he was called to stand, leading Fawn to believe that he was set up. And aside from that, she couldn't help but be consumed by worry over the look on Willow's face when her brother's name was called. She couldn't quite place the look she saw, but she recognized the fear. 

Fawn suddenly found purpose in her wandering when she caught sight of Willow walking alone as she herself was. The blonde girl sped up, squeezing through the throng of people to meet Willow at her side. 

"Hi Will," Fawn said with a skip and a cheerful grin, but her mood sombered when she examined the expression on the pale fairy's face. "Is everything alright?" 

"It's Jordan." Willow sighed, "She's not giving me the time of day. She even made such an effort to convince me that her and Draco were nothing serious, yet she never leaves his side!"

Fawn looked to her with sympathy, but didn't have any good advice.

"Whatever," Willow concluded, "Sooner or later she'll see his true colours." 

The Veelan girl agreed, though her attention was soon diverted to a group of three charming Wizards. They looked tall and cleanly kept, being even a year older than the two girls, they watched their approach in admiration. 

One of the boys who wore their Gryffindor robes advanced in their direction, glancing his brown eyes up and down over Fawn's figure. "Hey Blondie." He smirked with a wink. 

Fawn gave a kind smile as she knew the boy from previous year's classes. "Hi, Damon."

The girls continued walking, soon passing the boy only to hear him call out after Fawn. "What do you say to a day out at Hogsmeade, Bodner? Just you 'n me." 

The girl swiveled around to face him while still walking to keep up with Willow. With a chuckle she said, "Maybe another time!" 

In turning back around to Willow, she says, "Isn't he sweet?" 

Willow snorts, "Yeah. But only because he's got a huge crush on you." She says with a nudge.

Fawn simply rolls her eyes, laughing. "He does not. We're hardly even friends."

"He seems to think otherwise." She coughs in response. "He just asked you out, Fawn."

"Not a chance!" The Veelan argues through chuckles.

"You're such a hoof head."

"A what?"

"Nevermind." Willow shook her head in disbelief, giggling to herself.

The two girls continued to walk, heading towards the Library where their peculiar group would hang out each Thursday until the sun set. They finally arrived the tall oak doors of the endless room of books, they entered.

"Tessa!" Fawn called as they entered. 

The librarian, Madam Pince, was quick to hush the soft voice that was brought to volume. She blushed before shuffling over to the table where Tessa sat with Toby awaiting the rest of the company. 

Fawn brought her voice down to a whisper now that she was closer, "I can't believe you left me in that swarm of people!" 

"Sorry, girl. You gotta keep up." 

Fawn scoffed playfully. 

In sitting down and getting settled, Willow tucked herself in close to Toby, although kept her affections discreet. The boy smiled to himself in watching her take her place. 

Fawn took her place in a space next to Tessa opposite of the two, and they made cheerful conversation until Michael came bursting through the doors. However the group was left curiously confused when another Ravenclaw boy followed him inside. 

"Guys," Michael announced as the pair approached the table, "I'd like you all to meet Terry. He just transferred from the Wizarding school in America so I thought I'd show him around."

"Hi, Terry." The group greeted in a jumbled unison, excluding Fawn who had felt her mouth turn dry from holding it open.

"And, Terry, this is Tessa, Toby, Willow and Fawn." 

Fawn watched the newcomer in a mindless silence. She examined his tall stature, yet he looked short standing alongside Michael. He had a brunette curly bundle of hair on his head and eyes that shone like a blue summer sky. His figure looked strong and firm in a way that brought Fawn's heart to liquid. 

"Hello everyone." He said with a perfect smile and a ravishing american accent.

Fawn suddenly snapped out of her daze when she realized that the boy was becoming uncomfortable under her stare. It was as though she couldn't control her own body as she was brought to her feet. 

She advanced over to the Ravenclaw boy, but her foot caught around the leg of her chair and she stumbled slightly; she may have even hit the flooring if Terry hadn't grabbed a hold of her. Fawn coughed in embarrassment with blood rushing to her face as the space between them had narrowed, bringing her nervous eyes up to the stranger's, she almost didn't see him reach out his hand for her to shake. 

The boy must have been left handed because once Fawn brought up her right to meet his, they didn't quite fit. Fawn blushed while figuring that she could not possibly be more embarrassed than she was in this moment. Luckily for her however, Terry gripped the hand she held out and brought it to his plush lips. 

In placing a kiss on her hand, he says, "Delighted to meet you, Fawn."

Fawn responded with a beaming smile, yet embarrassment still showed itself in her features. 

Michael interrupted the scene, "Alright, Terry, we should get going. We've still got lots of the castle to explore before nightfall."

Terry nodded in response before giving one last, short smile to Fawn and heading off. 

"Nice to meet you all!" He called to the group as they left.

Fawn melted onto her chair with her palm to her face, her head shaking slightly as she groaned in embarrassment. Tessa let out a roar of laughter once Terry disappeared around the corner, and Willow also let her laughter burst from her mouth.

"Smooth Fawn, very smooth." Tessa gasped as she tried to curb her mirth. 

The Veelan simply sunk further into her seat, face bright with blush.

 

 

 

Word count 2568


	6. The Ferret And The Snake

A refreshing, deep breath of the early Autumn's air filled Willow's lungs as she slumped comfortably at a table bench out in the main courtyard. Toby accompanied her, dropping his heavy textbooks to the ground quickly to get a break from the weight. He then waves his hand and arm exaggeratedly in the air when he sees the familiar four eyes of Michael wandering from across the yard.

The tall Ravenclaw boy soon joins them, immediately striking conversation about the new galaxy he had learn about in Astronomy class. "It's an elliptical galaxy called Maffei and it is over 9 million light years away! It's part of the Cassiopeia constellation, and it's believed to have..." Willow stopped listening as her attention was stolen away by a certain redheaded girl who walked in their direction.

Willow's heart skipped a beat as the girl appeared to be choosing her over Draco who was sauntering on the opposite end of the Main Yard. However, when the Slytherin boy approaches Jordan before she reaches the table Willow sat at, the fairy girl feels her blood boil.

Willow doesn't bother to think before she acts as she stands to her feet and marches over to the pair, grabbing a firm hold on Jordan's arm, Willow stares Draco dead in the eye as she says, "She's busy." 

Jordan is then pulled to the table accompanied by the two boys Michael and Toby. She feels slightly embarrassed by Willow, but allows herself to let go of the feeling as she is welcomed by the group. 

Despite being a yard away from the boy, Jordan could still feel Draco's eyes on her. She glances over to where he stood, surrounded by a few other Slytherin boys. In seeing that he had captured Jordan's attention, he smirks before saying to his friends, "Hey, watch this guys."

Draco jumped up into the tall oak tree behind him and started to climb, all the while keeping his attention in Jordan's direction. He sat pridefully in the tree as if the aged branches were a golden throne. Willow watched the event with a mix of curiosity and distaste. 

Willow elbowed Jordan lightly in the ribs, gesturing to where Draco was perched upon the tree, chuckling at how ridiculous he looked. Although Jordan did not join Willow in her tease, but simply repositioned herself to join the rest of the group's conversation. The white haired girl furrowed her pale brows, trying to not let it bug her. 

The conversation of the table bounced from Potter's name in the cup, to the new 'Potter stinks' pins, and then to classes. Michael went on and on about Astronomy, despite the fact that the rest of them didn't really care for the topic. Even Jordan didn't have much interest, though she made an effort to listen to Michael intently as she had missed times like these with her friends. 

Jordan's attention however, was caught at the sound of Draco's voice calling out, "Why so tense, Potter?" The friend group turned to watch the exchange. When Michael noticed that it was Malfoy he scoffed and turned himself back around, and continued to read the Astronomy book he had checked out of the Library that one evening. 

"My father and I have a bet you see." Draco smirked, and jumped down gracefully from the tree in an arrogant manner. "I don't think you'll last ten minutes in the tournament." He looked at Crabbe and Goyal as if saying 'this will be good'. "He disagrees, he thinks you won't last five." The Slytherins surrounding him laughed, and Willow heard Jordan muffle a snicker as well. 

Willow furrowed her brows as she watched Harry's face go red with anger. 

"I don't give a damn what your father thinks, Malfoy." He said storming closer to him. "He's vile and cruel, and you're a coward." He turns away, steam rising out of his ears. 

Willow caught sight of Tessa and Fawn across the way close to where the Potter and Malfoy's exchange had taken place, both their faces pinched in disgust. Tessa hated Draco just as much as Harry, and was fiercely protective of Fawn when the snake dared to sneer at the blonde Veelan. It didn't matter who it was aimed at, anything the Slytherin boy did worsened her resentment even further. 

Draco suddenly pulled out his wand and aimed it at Harry's receding back. The whole of the table, excluding Michael, stood to get a better look at the approaching duel - or critical injury. 

Before Malfoy could utter a word, Mad-Eye Moody stormed into the rough circle of students. "Don't you know it's cowardly to draw your wand on someone when their back is turned?!" He advanced menacingly over to Draco as fast as his fake leg allowed. 

Willow and Jo leaped from where they were and ran to see what was about to happen, with Toby and Michael not far behind. They pushed their way through the growing crowd, and Jordan split from the group slightly to stand at Draco's side. Willow was absorbed by the action, but Michael saw Jordan's unspoken alliance with the Malfoy boy. Betrayal shot through his veins, burning its way to his heart. 

"I'll teach you a lesson boy!" Mad-Eye Moody pointed his wand at the trembling Draco. Jordan knew better to not get in the way, and took a side step away just in time for a flash of magic to stream out of his wand and hit Draco. The next thing they knew, there was a white ferret bouncing up and down in a frantic struggle. The crowd erupted with laughter, even Jordan couldn't help but give a short snicker. Professor McGonagall entered the scene looking aghast and concerned. 

"Alaster! Is, Is that a student?!" Her round, brown eyes were as wide as the ferret's. 

"Technically, it's a ferret." He said smiling and chuckling along with the surrounding students. Willow laughed even harder than she was before, clutching her stomach in the humour. McGonagall took out her wand and turned the ferret back into human form, unfortunately this caused the laughter to die down. Draco scurried up to his feet and his lanky body almost got tangled in knots as he scurried away from the mad teacher whimpering. 

Jordan quickly sobered and shot a glance at her friends before hurrying after Draco. Willow held back a groan as she watched Jordan take off to comfort the cowardly boy, but she was less hurt than she was annoyed. After all, Willow was beginning to suspect that the redhead's recent behaviour involving Malfoy had something to do with that letter, that damn letter she had received from her parents. Jordan had still refused to come clean about the whole situation and Willow remained in the dark, feeling as though she wasn't trusted by her best friend. 

The thought was infuriating.

>>> • <<<

Jordan scurried through the grand halls of Hogwarts until she found Draco sitting on the foot of one of the shifting staircases. She quietly glided over and up the remaining steps on her own flight of stairs to join Draco on his. She sat down next to him in silence, looking out in front of them at whatever Draco seemed to have his eyes fixed on. She finally spoke, "You okay?" Her voice was quiet and concerned.

He nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable. "Yes, I'm fine." He coughed, shifting his weight. She could sense the embarrassment he clung to by the previous incident. Being turned into a powerless animal and then being laughed at by nearly 30 students would be horrifying for anyone.

Jordan ran her gentle hand down his arm to show her sympathy, and there they sat, side by side in a gloomy and quiet atmosphere. 

"You really made Harry mad though, at least give yourself that." She added in a sort of uplifting mindset, she heard Draco let out a short sound of amusement through his nose. 

"He was steaming, wasn't he?" He asked, smiling to himself. Jordan smirked as she nodded in agreement.

"Draco," Jo hesitantly whispered into the quiet air, "Can I ask you something?" 

Draco sat up from his slumped state and met her eyes, "Of course. Anything." Jordan blushed, bringing her gaze to the floor before she could catch his venomous smirk.

"Okay," She took a deep breath. "I received a letter from my parents recently. They were glad to know that you and I were getting closer, and told me that if I had any questions I could come to you about them?" Uncertainty coloured her voice as her tone rose in a question. 

Draco seemed to have recovered some of his confidence at her words and change of topic, and he stood before helping her to her feet. They slowly meandered down the hall towards the Slytherin dorm as Draco spoke. "Yes, you can, I'm glad you got the letter, I had begun to worry you had ignored it or might not have gotten it at all. There has been talk of letters being intercepted by the Ministry after all." His face soured at that, but softened when he looked down at her. "If there is anything you would like to ask me, anything at all, feel free to."

Relief flooded her features,"I have so many questions." Jordan revealed, keeping her voice low. She wasn't sure how private the conversation was supposed to be. He dipped his head as if encouraging her to continue. "Well, first of all, what this is all about. What is so urgent that my parents would take time out of their day to write me a letter? And buy me a ring?" 

He brought his head closer to hers so his mutters would be heard by only her, and Jordan's heart sped up. His eyes darkened and his lips curled, his warm breath brushing against her cheek distracting Jordan from the wickedness iching beneath his skin. "Have you heard the rumours? The Dark Lord is rising." 

Her heart beat pounded in her chest, she lost the pattern of her breath finding herself holding in air. 

"Well, it's true." He breathed out. "He is returning and my parents, along with yours, need our help." Jordan felt the blood flush her fair skin. Her parents were ex-death eaters, and had never renowned their claim of loyalty to the Dark Lord. Draco continued, "They need us to stick together, all of us, for protection purposes."

Jordan's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Who's us? Are there more?" She looked up at Draco. They stopped walking and he turned to face her. He grabbed her hands and looked at them. He held up the hand which had her parents' ring.

"Whoever is wearing this." His expression was serious as she nodded. "But It is very important that you prove your loyalty with more than just your jewelry. You will need to let go of your half breed and mudblood friends. They must not know"

Her stomach turned as she thought of leaving Willow, or Fawn, or her other friends. Draco watched her in alarm, for her face had gone slightly green. Abruptly burning fury rose up inside of her and recoloured her face with an angry blush. How could her parents do this to her? Why am I doing this? 

"Hey," Draco put his hand on her shoulder, closing the empty space between them. "It won't be so bad. You'll have me. You will make new friends, better ones." An odd glint shone deep in his eyes, but caught in the moment Jordan didn't care to read it. "You are strong, Jordan, and in the end it is all for the best. They will end up hurt if you keep their friendships."

For a moment, Jordan didn't have an answer to why she would give up so much for something she didn't even understand. Why should she give up everything for her parent's cult? 

But looking up at Draco, she suddenly found that there was one, a reason, standing there in front of her. A rare kindness gleamed on the surface of his eyes and tugged at the corners of his lips. His gaze made Jordan flush, and warmth seeped through her body and shone in her cheeks. 

A shy quietness overcame the two of them, and they sat comfortably until the sunlight dimmed as it spilled through the large windows. 

 

Word Count: 2066


	7. Dragons

A chilled breeze brushed through the tangles of her blonde hair, painting a tinge of pink in her fair, freckled cheeks and the tips of her hidden pointed ears. Her faint purple eyes grazed up to the freshly constructed bleachers filled with mismatched groups of witches and wizards, admiring the numbers, but one glance to the arena shot shivers down her spine. Willow gulped. 

From where she stood, Willow could spot out her friends sitting up near the top of the stands, anticipation and excitement written on their faces. She made her way up them avoiding eye contact with Jordan seeing as she was sat beside the Malfoy boy. She loathed the idea of sitting with the group of arrogant snakes, but her intentions were lost when Jordan asked for her company. Willow begrudgingly took the seat beside her redheaded friend, finding the request difficult to refuse. 

Willow sat in silence as Draco's idiotic friends laughed around her with a few added giggles from Jordan. 

Willow looked up and to the left, seeing Fawn sitting beside a boy she recognized to be Terry, whom she met earlier in the year. Fawn's golden blonde hair hung at her side, gliding into neat, soft waves at the tips where she twirled the pieces between her fingers. Her lips parted into a beaming laugh after the blonde boy whispered something into her ear, he grinned in victory at her reaction and placed his arm gently over her shoulders. Willow sat wondering with what time they had gotten so close, being even more astounded that they managed to get past their previous awkward greeting. But Willow let the thought flee from her mind as Toby approached her.

Their mittened hands intertwined and he smiled down at her with adoration before letting his concerns spill out of his mouth. "Does your brother know what he's doing?" Willow looked up at him with her eyebrow raised.

"Surely," Willow responded as if trying to convince herself. Suddenly a smile tugged at her lips as she leaned closer to him and whispered, "The first task is dragons." He looked taken aback.

"Real dragons? Like big, scally, fire breathing dragons?" Toby asked, spooked.

"No, pink, fluffy, cotton candy breathing dragons, Toby." Willow said sarcastically. He chuckled. "No, but he's ready, it's because of our-" she looked over her shoulder to make sure neither Draco nor his friends could hear, "fairy side." she whispered. "All animals, big, small, dangerous or not, adore us."

Toby seemed dubious. "Have either of you met a dragon?"

"No, but our mother has, and the big softy took five minutes to warm up to her then he wouldn't leave her alone." Willow laughed at the memory of her mom telling her and Oak the story. Toby matched her smile with his soft lips gently curling around his nearly perfect teeth.

"He'll be okay then." He breathed, looking out at the scenery in front of him. 

The smile slid off of Willow's face as the unsettling feeling came to her once again at the sound of his certainty, "I sure hope so." she whispered to herself. 

Jordan, who was once sitting hip-to-hip with Willow, had gradually shuffled away as Draco shifted farther and farther back, intentionally bringing her with him. They quietly bickered about the muggleborn and halfblood friends Jordan would have to separate from. No matter what she tried to tell herself, she just didn't feel ready. She sighed looking down at the arena, he gently brought his right hand to her chin and tilted her head to look at him, brushing a strand of her red curls out of her face with his other. 

"If you feel you can find a way to be close friends with them and be able to keep them out of the upcoming danger then by all means, Jordan-"

"I know, I know what I have to do. It has to be done." she sighed. "They wouldn't understand the cause anyways."

"If it is too hard on you, I could come up with something-"

"No. Thank you, Draco, but I have to do this myself." She assured herself, "I just--I just don't want to hurt them." Her eyes shaped with pain, "I've known them forever and they have gone through everything with me..." If dread for this deed took the form of liquid, she would be drowning in it now, though the need to protect the ones she loved kept her afloat. 

Her eyes wandered up to her friends in the empty silence left between her and Draco. Wide smiles were on each of their faces, even without her with them, they were happy. 

At that moment she realized they could all be better off without her, they would all be better without her. Guilt weighed on her like stones tied to her feet at the thought of her selfishness, she would only bring them harm if she stayed. 

She brought her gaze back to Draco who had his pale blue eyes already on her. Jordan then realized that after all this, he would be the only one she could confide in. The only one who would be willingly standing by her side after this would be all said and done. After all her other friends have given up on her.

Her features broke into a sad smile and she squeezed the free hand Draco held on his lap. "Thank you" she whispered. She rested her head on his shoulder, treasuring the warmth hidden beneath his cold skin. 

>>> • <<<

The stands were soon bustling with Witches and Wizards as everyone jostled for a better view of the stadium. People chattered as the anticipation skyrocketed and the noisy mayhem grew. The chaos died abruptly as a cannon fired and the first victor, Cedric Diggory stepped out of the champion tent. 

A roar rung from deep in the cave that parted the ground in one corner of the arena, and the spectators gasped. A large scaly beast bolted out of its hiding, the magnificence of the Swedish Short-Snout astonishing everyone. 

The Hufflepuff champion wasted no time in drawing his wand to transfigure a rock into snapping chocolate Labrador as a distraction. The audience held its breath as the beast took the bait, and Cedric hurriedly snuck around the fearsome creature to snatch the golden egg. The distraction had almost worked when the Short-Snout caught sight of the boy and breathed a furious column of fire at him. Spectators gasped as Cedric narrowly swerved the danger, but not without burning the side of his face. 

His task ended shortly after and he was sent to Madam Pomfrey to treat his wounds. The audience whispered as they waited for the next contender. 

The crowd did not have to wait long until the boom of the cannon sounded. Fleur Delacour slipped out of the safety of the champion's tent, with a look of determination on her beautiful features. She, like Cedric, immediately drew her wand as her dragon, the Common Green Welsh, crept out of the cave. 

The audience watched in awe as Fleur slowly charmed her dragon to sleep, before moving to reach the egg. She was successful, however the scaly beast snorted in it's sleep, setting fire to her skirt. All in all, the Beauxbaton student escaped relatively unharmed.

Finally it was Oaks turn, The cannon went off again, and he entered the stadium. The crowd roared and he shot his hand up in the air with a clenched fist as if claiming victory already. He looked around and observed his setting. The big red dragon shot up in the air, the Chinese Fireball stared at him. 

Oak held out his hand, keeping direct eye contact. He moved his hand to the left, and the Fireball watched carefully. Oak then moved his hand back to the right, and the fearsome beast followed again. Willow found herself holding her breath. He then squatted down and the beast layed down and the creature rested its head on the ground. 

The crowd erupted with applause, Oak smirked, but otherwise paid no attention. 

He slowly approached the beast, taking one slow step at a time. His hand that had remained held out slowly touched the dragon, a huff of steam came out of her nose, and Oak fell back in fear. 

Willow's stomach turned at the sight of the creature, who seemed to be smirking. 

Oak pulled himself up, before trying again, lightly touching the dragon with his right hand. The beast showed no signs of harmful intention, but leaned into his touch. Oak's lips curled into a charming smile at his accomplishment, he then leaned his head against her's. He subtly pulled out his wand and pointed it towards the egg, the golden egg floated towards him. He held up the golden egg to her, she sniffed it and huffed, realising that it wasn't even one of her own. 

He smiled at the exchange, and held up his egg in victory. The crowd roared once again, but nothing compared to Willow's pride, which overcame her anxiety. The fireball dragon turned around and protected Oak from the cries of the people. Oak chuckled and pet her, she calmed down and disappeared into a cave, carefully watching to see if anyone else will challenge her into taking her eggs. 

On the next cannon fire, Harry entered the arena where the large Hungarian Horntail was awaiting his arrival. Unlike the rest of the other champions and dragons, his beast immediately began its mission to destroy the Gryffindor boy. Harry summoned his Firebolt broomstick and attempted to use his flying skills to distract the dragon, which lead to the dragon breaking lose of his steel chains. This sudden turn of events unraveled the composition of the audience, and the chaos that ensued was only furthered by the Horntail destroying a set of stands. It was only two set of stands away from where Willow and her friends were sitting. 

After a half an hour long gruelling task Harry ended up with his golden egg that would reveal the second task. His victory brought an uproar of cheers from the spectators, and even the most disdainful witches and wizards clapped for the youngest champion. Willow smiled, approving of Harry's winning while joining the applause. She found herself accepting the Gryffindor boy more than feeling bias against him.

People started getting up, shuffling their things and leaving the ruined stands after Harry's dragon had wrecked them. Will followed the masses, and sighed thinking about all the things she would have said to Jordan had she been sitting there beside her during the challenge. 

She leaned into Toby's shoulder as they walked, scrunching her nose up and huffing in exasperation. She hated the wedge that had been put between her and Jordan, yet she felt helpless as she couldn't do anything to fix it. At least if she had a reason as to why Jordan was distancing herself, she would have a little bit of closure.

For a moment fear struck her. Am I the reason? The thought horrified her, but it wasn't impossible. If Jordan was getting closer to Malfoy, maybe she was starting to think like him too. How long would it be until Jordan cut ties with her lifelong friend because she wasn't a pureblood--because she wasn't fully human? She quickly shoved down the anxiety attached to the idea rising in her and labeled the thought ridiculous. Deep inside however, it ate at her.

As the first task was wrapped up and all the champions had gotten their eggs, they were all tended to and going back to celebrate with the others from their houses or schools. Willow whispered a soft goodbye to Toby and decided to swiftly congratulate her brother before heading to the library for the group's weekly meeting.

As she got closer to the tent, she caught sight of Jordan, standing by herself in the crowd of people. Jordan was looking around, probably for Draco, but considering that he wasn't there now, Willow took up the opportunity to talk with her friend. 

"Jordan, hey." she greeted with a smile.

After making one last scan of the crowd, Jordan returned her smile. "Hi Willow."

"Did you enjoy the first task?" Willow's words came out monotonous, knowing that Jordan was preoccupied with a certain platinum-haired serpent. Her mood however lighted slightly at the obvious excitement in Jordan's response.

"Yeah!" She answered enthusiastically, her red curls bouncing. "Your brother did amazing, he didn't have any troubles with the dragon. I remember you telling me that your fairy side allows for you to connect with animals but I've never seen it first hand before-"

Willow shushed her, looking around the crowd in alarm. "Don't speak so loudly!"

Jordan's cheeks reddened with shame, "Right, sorry."

They stood in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Willow began to speak, "I was actually just on my way to congratulate him, would you like to come? We'll head off to the library after."

Jordan suddenly felt a waterfall of guilt pour over her, she had completely forgot about their after-school time together in the library every thursday, and promised Draco that she would accompany him to go out.

Willow noticed Jordan's uncertainty and misinterpreted it as her dislike for her brother. "I know you're not fond of Oak but it will only be for a moment. You could wait outside the tent if it really bothers you-"

"No, no. that's not it, it's fine. I was just thinking..." she trailed off trying to avoid Willow from asking anymore questions. 

With a nod, Will lead them to the campion's tent but noticed him just outside of it surrounded by students. 

"... and it's all thanks to my fairy heritage!" Willow heard him announcing with pride. "Forest fairies have always been able to connect with animals. It's a trick I learnt from my Mother." Oak winked at the wide-eyed students around him. 

Willow stopped dead in her tracks, feeling dread fill her body and tears fill her eyes as she watched the Hogwarts students exchange looks of judgment that ate away at her confidence. He was exposing himself to her school! Exposing her along with him! 

Willow abandoned her plans of congratulating him and ran the other way as fast as she could, weaving through the crowd of people. She left Jordan behind as she ran as far and as fast as her feet could take her, while her carefully constructed identity fell apart behind her.

Willow felt as if she was crumbling along with it. 

 

 

 

Word Count: 2430


	8. Serpent’s Tongue

Willow couldn't shake the stirring feeling of illness wrestling in her stomach from the incident. Rumours spread fast and Willow was not ready for the negative attention: the looks, the questions, the teasing. 

The anger boiling up in Willow showed itself in the fire beneath her skin. Oak knew of her efforts to hide her fairy inheritance, and here he shamelessly flaunts his winnings by bragging about it, announcing how it was all thanks to his fairy heritage. 

She could faintly hear the surrounding students passing around the rumours of her. Their judging eyes following her and their whispering voices suffocating her. Her jaw tightened, and her fists clenched at her side. The people's glares and stares fueled her anger for her brother and her hatred for the purists. The anger pulsing through her veins pushed her faster forward, with every step she steadily picked up speed until she ran into someone, causing her to fall backwards and land solidly on the cold stone floor. 

She blew the fallen hair out of her face, leaving room for her glares at the sturdily planted person standing between her, and her freedom. A slim boy with messy brown hair and circular glasses stood a above her. She immediately recognized Harry and dropped her hateful stare; Hermione stood at his side with surprise painted on her face. 

"I'm sorry Willow, I didn't see you coming." Harry held out his hand to her to help her up. She took it with a tight smile, still tense with rage. 

"It's okay, Harry." She brushed herself off. "Hey Hermione." She greeted briefly.

"Hey Willow." The frizzy haired witch responded with a friendly smile. 

"Hey, congratulations on your win Harry." Willow's smile was more like an awkward grimace as she patted his shoulder. 

"Thanks Willow, but it was nothing compared to your brother's, he was incredible." His admiring words made Willow's lips press together. She dropped her head with a clenched jaw, not wanting to relive what her brother had done. 

"Hey, I get it. I know what it's like." Hermione said referring to her muggleborn status. "It's just the purest Slytherins that are being bigots. Ignoring them is the only thing that works." 

Willow nodded although she disagreed, "As a Slytherin myself, it can be hard to avoid the 'bigots'." Willow said avoiding eye contact. I don't know how much longer I can ignore this, she thought. The idea of being untouchable by narrow-minded opinions and cruel words was a nice concept, but impractical. Quite frankly, Willow was done with tolerant silence. Whenever she heard the rumours, she wanted to tighten her fists and throw them at someone, anyone. Willow wanted to fight. 

Harry gave her an encouraging pat, telling her it was nice to see her before she thanked them and walked away. 

Willow took her time wandering the halls on her way to the library, with one thought stuck tenaciously on her mind: If only it was that easy. 

>>> • <<<

Jordan, who had lost Willow in the crowds, couldn't find her in any of their usual spots, a fact that worried her. She wandered the castle looking for Willow until she found herself at the doors of the library, without a friend and without a comfort. Her worried searching left her cold and empty except for the heavy ball of dread resting in the pit of her stomach. 

She entered the library alone, feeling slightly awkward without Willow at her side. She looked around for her, wondering if maybe she had already settled here, but the little fairy was nowhere in sight. Jo hesitantly made her way to the table occupied by Fawn and Tessa, who were already claiming the space with enough chairs for all six. To her surprise, they welcomed her with beaming smiles and joyful waves.

"Have either of you guys seen Will?" Jo asked from where she stood at the head of the table. "I was following her here but I kinda lost her."

"Don't worry about her, Jo, she'll come." Fawn assured her. 

"She's right," Tessa agreed, "Now take a seat! It feels like we haven't seen you in forever!" 

The girls caught up, talked and laughed together lightheartedly. Jordan's smile was genuine and pure, she almost felt as though things were back to normal between them, almost. A feeling of dread for the coming task hung far in the distance, and no matter where she looked, it could be faintly seen in the middle of her vision distracting her from true peace. 

The boys, Michael and Tobias, approached the table of girls, engaging in animated conversation with each other. Tessa lit up at the sight of them.

"Did you bring me anything?" Tessa sharply asked the boys, skipping the greeting. Michael and Toby looked as though a professor had asked them to hand in homework they didn't know was due. Jordan swallowed a chuckle. 

"Uhh, no." Michael broke the news to her, "Were we supposed to?"

Tessa relaxed her fiery gaze and slumped in her chair. "No, I just really want marshmallows right now." She said with an overly dramatic quivering lip. 

"Why marshmallows?" Jordan puzzled.

"Why not!? Doesn't smores just sound like the best thing right now?" Tessa's mouth watered. 

Fawn sat with her cheeks in her fists daydreaming, oblivious to the conversation. At this, Jo smirked. 

"Did you know, that in Asia, marshmallows grow on trees?" She enquired. Fawn snapped back into reality at the new 'information'.

"They do?!" She asked in surprise. Toby raised his eyebrows in surprise while Tessa shamelessly smacked her palm to her forehead. Fawn's face lit of in realization. "Oh you were kidding!"

"Good Lord, Fawn." Tessa marvelled. "What did you hit your head on as a child?"

"Well,-"

"-Jordan!" A voice called, recognizable enough to eliminate the need to look, Jordan answered. "Hey Draco."

"What are you doing here? You promised to accompany me to Diagon Alley today." Draco sneered at mixed blood group as he cautiously sauntered closer.

Jordan choked up, "Uh, I... "

"She meets with us every Thursday." Michael interjected sternly.

"Well, no bother," Draco shrugged as he took the last seat ment for Willow. "I'll just wait until you're done."

Awkward silence fell on the group, the girls exchanged glances of confusion, taken aback by his boldness and comfortable posture. Toby twiddled his fingers beneath the table with his eyes glued to them. Meanwhile Michael held a cold glare, fixated on the pale, blonde boy who seemed to radiate with ignorance. 

"So, half witts" Draco smirked, filling the empty air with indifference lacing his voice, "what's so important in your lives that you have to have a meeting every week?" 

Tessa fluttered her lashes in an eye roll, attempting to diminish the rising annoyance Draco brought to the table. 

"We don't need a reason to hang out. It's just nice to see each other every once in a while." Fawn explained with her brows furrowed. 

Tessa whispered, quiet enough for only Fawn's ears to hear, "You can't expect him to understand, he's never had a friend to just 'hang out' with in all of his sad lonely life." 

Fawn snickered at full volume, grabbing the attention of the rest of the table, who were unaware of the spiteful exchange.

The boy's cold eyes burned holes in the Veelan's skin. Fawn swallowed hard. 

A malicious idea came to light in Tessa's head, and she smirked with a devious glint in her eyes. "So... Draco. What was it like being a ferret?" Fawn giggled at the remark before quickly coughing to cover it up.

Blood flushed through Draco's features, burning his cheeks with unfiltered fury before snapping, "That's none of your damn business." His retort didn't have the effect he had intended because more snickers erupted, and there was a particularly loud snort from Michael. Jordan brought a hand to his tense arm to comfort him. 

Tessa's grin widened at his defensive reaction. "Hostile, okay. You know, I would have thought you would have lost your clothes when you shrunk, but it's probably for the better. No-one wants to see the cause for your insecurities." 

The angry red colour that bloomed on Draco's face made Tessa's smile stretch so wide it looked as if her face would spilt.

Jordan while she was slightly enjoying herself, decided to break up the fight before Draco started using his fists, or worse, Tessa used her wand. Malfoy did not want to be on the receiving end of the Gryffindor girl's hexes.

"C'mon Draco, we should get to Diagon Alley early enough to avoid the rush of middle-aged witches." Jordan said as she tugged the furious boy to his feet. Tessa looked smug as she watched a red-faced Slytherin boy being dragged away by Jordan who matched him in colour from embarrassment. On their way out however, the pair ran into a pale-skinned and dazed, Willow. 

"Will!" Jordan cried before roughly gripping the girl's shoulders. "I couldn't find you after the first task, I was starting to get worried about you."

"I'm fine, I just-" She caught sight of Draco who was listening intently, "I just got caught up with something." 

Jordan knew she wasn't telling her the whole truth, but she could sense the discomfort in her voice and decided to let it go. "Oh, okay. Well I'm glad you're okay." Jo gave her friend a comforting squeeze before and heading for the doors. 

"Hey where are you going?" Willow called, making Jordan pause to reply.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley with Draco." 

Willow wrinkled her nose. "Oh right, of course. I almost forgot you and Draco were attached at the hip." She turned and walked away with an eye roll, not bothering to hear Jordan defend herself. 

With a sigh, she made her way over to the table by the window. The group's beaming smiles and contagious laughter brought a grin to her face, making her previous frustration fade into background noise. 

"Willow!" Fawn gasped for breath. "You just missed the funniest thing!" 

"Oh? Do tell." She pried as she took her usual seat beside Toby. 

"Tessa asked Draco what it was like being a ferret." The statement sent Fawn into another round of gasping giggles.

"Wait seriously?" Willow imagined the interaction between the fiery latina and the pale boy. She pictured him going beet red while trying to make a comeback, but failing. 

"Yes! You should have been here!" Fawn clapped her hands on the wooden table.

"I love you, Tess." She smiled brightly, "You are my new hero."

"I wasn't before?" She pouted. Willow simply responded with a cheeky wink. 

The meeting eventually came to an end as the moon took the sun's spot in the sky and the early winter's night brought most of the other students to their dorms. The group packed up their stuff as they bid each other goodnight before too heading to their dorms. 

Willow walked peacefully through the corridors on her way to her room, the cool breeze of a distant open window chilling her exposed skin, although it didn't bother her.

The sound of hurried footsteps brought her attention to the tall, brown eyed boy effortlessly catching up to her. 

"Willow," Toby breathed, "I wanted to talk to you but you disappeared before I got the chance." 

Something in his voice wavered and she could tell he was nervous. 

He gently grabbed her hand, bringing her to a stop in middle of the cold, empty corridor. His eyes locked onto hers and she felt the nervousness in his voice transfer into the tinge of her cheeks as her chilled, exposed skin suddenly became warm with rushing blood. 

They stood like that without words and without movement until Willow was nearly bursting at the seams in suspense. 

Finally, he spoke. "Willow, I was wondering if maybe you would like to go to the Yule Ball..." 

"Well of course I'm going to the Yule Ball, Fawn already promised to design a dre-"

"-I mean with me." 

Willow's heart nearly dropped along with her jaw, such an action that grew into a bright smile at the realization of his sincerity. 

"Yes, Toby. Yes I'll go with you." She excitedly threw her arms around the blushing boy, hardly able to contain the excitement showing through her own cheeks. 

Toby pulled away slightly, just enough to see the unique purple tint in her eyes, but not quite far enough to let her out of his arms. Watching her joy filled expression, Toby smiled. He then decided to do something he had been wanting to do for a long time, almost since he had first saw her.

He leaned in gently and placed his soft lips on Willow's fair cheek, brushing against the corner of her pink lips. Her heart felt as if it had burst into a kaleidoscope of butterflies that then fluttered down into her stomach. 

As he pulled away, a soft smile grew on his face. "I look forward to it." He whispered. 

Willow could muster nothing more than a dropped jaw. Dazed, she watched Toby walk away with a lightness to his step. After a minutes or so, everything that had happened sunk into Willow, and a brilliant grin broke out on her face. All the way back to the dorms until she climbed into bed, Willow was floating. With the smile still stuck on her face she drifted off to sleep.

>>> • <<<

The following day's potions class was finally over and Fawn couldn't have been more relieved. She concluded that potions was an awful idea and hereby named that the most embarrassing class of her life. 

"Hey Fawn!" Draco called while sauntering up to the table where she was packing up her stuff. "I'd just like to congratulate you, I've never met someone who could manage to make a beautification potion explode." Draco laughed coldly in Fawn's face who was still trying to fix her matted hair from the incident.

Fawn made no reply. 

By then, Crab and Gloye stood at his side, laughing along with him. "It's too bad really, with that face, you really could have used it." Draco attempted to hold himself back from laughing but his hysterics burst out of his mouth. 

"I've always found the Veelan kind quite disturbing," Draco continued, his cold eyes drilling into Fawn's, "Never fully human, yet never fully beast either. They just sit somewhere in between with hideous faces in both forms."

"Screw off Draco." Fawn said calmly with an aggravated sigh. She gathered her things she had been packing and walked away, but Draco chased after her.

"Except for you of course, Fawn." He smirked, "You'd be prettier as a Harpy." Draco's idiotic friends laughed. Fawn furrowed her eyebrows, confused by how cruel people can be. 

Fawn was not generally self conscious which allowed her not to be so bothered by the boys. However, she was not so careful to hide the features of her heritage leading to some much unwanted attention from a certain group of Slytherins, and she wasn't sure how long she could hold up to their incessant teasing.

"Come on Fawn! Show us your true form!" Crab insisted. 

"Yeah Fawn, show us. Prove that your ugly face is actually worth something." Draco said with a stinging venom dripping from his teeth.

Tessa suddenly came around the corner in front of them, just in time to catch Draco's last words. Fury rose up inside of her until it spilled out of her mouth, "Tell me I did not just hear that!" 

Draco wasn't scared of many people, but Tessa was one of them. Though she was shorter than him, she nearly doubled him in strength while her voice seemed as if thunder followed it. Although Draco did not show any wavering. 

"Oh you heard me." He hissed, "Once the Dark Lord rises, all you half breeds, muggleborns, and half bloods will perish and all you have to stand up for yourself is a Veelan who won't shift." He half laughed, "Pathetic."

Fawn was only half Veela, from her mother, and what Draco didn't know was that she wasn't even sure if she could change form, even if she wanted to. 

Tessa growled fiercely, "We 'half breeds, and muggle borns' are your girlfriends closest friends." she spat as she took a protective step in front of Fawn who was holding Tessa back from clawing the boy's eyes out. "What do you think Jordan will say when she finds out you are bullying her friend!?"

"You call this bullying? I am merely stating the truth. And do you really think Jordan wants to be friends with you? You are disgraces to the wizarding name. You filthy blooded freaks." He said with a look of pure distaste.

Tessa stood with her mouth wide open, shock showing on her features at Draco's perception of Jordan. He doesn't know her at all! She thought to herself, but just as she was about to say her thoughts out loud, Fawn held her back. 

"It's okay Tessa." Just as she spoke, Willow entered the scene. 

"What is going on?" Anger boiling up inside her at the sight of Draco's familiar cruel smirk.

Tessa ignored Willow and whipped out her wand. "It will be okay once I hex him!" Before she could complete her threat however, Fawn pulled Tessa back. 

Fawn struggled with her grip on the strong witch. "It's not worth the fight Tessa!"

"No need for that, De La Rosa." Draco chimed in, throwing his hands up lazily, "I was just finishing up anyways." With that, he spun on his heel, walking back the way he came taking the two other boys with him. 

With a growl, Tessa gave into Fawn's pleads, turning away to shove through the curious crowd with fury still consuming her.

Willow stood there dumbfounded, trying to piece together what she had just heard before finally deciding to chase after Draco. She slipped through a pack of second years to catch up to the Slytherin boy. She forcefully grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her.

"What the hell was that? What right do you have to talk to Jordan's friends like that? Just because they're different than you?" Willow's anger slowly grew the longer she looked at Draco's smug face. 

"Because they're unclean." He corrected, "And who are you to talk? You are no different than the rest of them."

Willow's heart dropped, perspiration revealing itself on her forehead, her fingernails piercing her palms. Draco noticed her shift in confidence and smirked, "I heard your brother talking about his fairy heritage. How that is what won him the dragon's golden egg." Draco sneered, "You will have the same fate as them. Slytherin or not." He picked up his pace, leaving behind Willow who had stopped dead in her tracks.

"And you're just a purest monster," She called after him, nearly choking on her words, "you know nothing of what it's like to be discriminated against. You are cruel." 

Draco merely cracked a devilish smile, his back still turned to her. Maybe he was a monster, but the fact didn't waver his confidence; it fueled it. 

Watching Draco saunter away, Willow knew she has lost, and Draco had won. He always won. Willow was left with a fury so intense that her nails pierced her skin inside her fist. 

She vowed to herself then that one day Draco Malfoy would lose. One day, the King of Snakes would fall.

 

 

 

Word Count: 3220


	9. Foreign Blood

"Then he said I'd be prettier as a Harpy." Fawn rolled her eyes, "He's way too cocky for his own good."

 

"Why won't you go to Dumbledore about this? Or better yet, punch him in the face. I'd like to see him try to strut with a broken nose." Tessa bared her teeth in a furious grin. 

"Because it's not worth it." Fawn stated calmly, "Draco always wins, if he didn't, than he would have been kicked out of Hogwarts a long time ago. A punch to the nose won't change that." 

Tessa suddenly noticed a pair of familiar prying eyes rounded in surprise at the topic of their conversation. 

"What are you talking about?" Jordan asked the girls. She came out from the corridor she had came from to stand with the girls. 

"Umm,-"

"-Draco's a snake." Tessa interjected, "He was insulting Fawn in Potions class. He shamed her Veelan kind and then had the nerve to call her ugly!" Summarizing the incident was just about as infuriating as living it. Tessa clenched her fists. "Then he told us that all the mudbloods and half bloods are impure and basically just need to die." 

Jordan stood staring at the girls in an unnerving silence as doubt flooded her mind, although it left in a fleeting moment as she remembered Draco's cruel capabilities. She began filling with enough emotions to cry, scream, laugh and punch a wall all at once. The feelings and thoughts began spinning around and around her head making her dizzy, and Tessa could see it. 

But with a brisk, indiscreet shake of her head she regained her composure. 

"Draco would never do that."

Tessa and Fawn both stared at Jordan, desperately trying to comprehend her words. 

"Have you met Draco!?" Tessa's voice cracked. 

"I know him better than you do, and I know he would never do such a thing." Jo responded calmly, although she was burning with fury inside.

Tessa, for once, didn't know what to say. Fawn spoke up, "I promise Jo, we are not lying." 

Jordan forced herself to furrow her eyebrows at the girl, "You're just doing this so I will stop spending time with Draco!" she accused. "Aren't you!?"

"No of course not, Jordan!" Fawn defended.

Without allowing them to explain themselves further, Jordan walked away, heading straight for the Slytherin common room with the blood in her veins burning her skin.

Once she arrived, Jordan plumped herself on the couch in front of the fireplace, staring at the flames intently as she tried to sort out her thoughts. It infuriated her that Draco would go behind her back and say such horrible things to Fawn and about the half bloods. 

Draco came through the door and into the empty room with a satisfied grin on his face from his previous encounter with the Veela half breed. Jordan did not look at him. 

He walked over to her, eventually wiping the grin off his face to match her somber mood. He took a seat beside her as he reached out to put his arm around her shoulders. 

"Don't touch me" she snapped with a whip of her hand. 

He looked at her with a mix of confusion and concern. 

"Did I do something wrong?" He asked unaware of how much Jordan knew. His eyes pried into hers, almost making her forget what she was mad about. 

She pulled herself away, "Why would you say such horrible things to them?" 

"Them?" He thought for a moment, "Oh... You mean the Half Breeds?" 

Jordan stared him dead in the eye, "I mean my friends."

Draco stumbled over his breath at the stern unwavering of her voice "I was trying to make it easier on you in the long run." He defended, "If they know you don't accept them, then breaking your relations would be easier." he said softly with a hint of good intent lacing his voice.

"I told you Draco, I do not want your help. I can do this just fine on my own." Where her voice had once been a whisper, was rising in defence. "Do not doubt me."

"I do not doubt you, but you have to work at a quicker pace if you want to protect them." 

"I will do this on my own pace." She snapped. 

Draco let out a sigh, "This must be done swiftly if you wish to prove your loyalty. It's for the best, Jo."

Jordan twitched at the sound of her nickname being formed by Draco's forked tongue, it left a bitter taste in her mouth. She fought hard to swallow it.

>>> • <<<

Fawn sat peacefully on the steps of the castle that lead to the courtyard, her skin glowing in the light of the setting sun as she marked the pages of her sketchbook with her pencil. She promised Tessa and Willow that she would design both of their dresses, as well as her own, for the Yule Ball and she was determined to make them perfect.

Fawn had already perfected her own gown and was putting the finishing touches on Tessa's, however Willow's was a different story. She had offered the same for Jordan but she hasn't made a decision yet.

Willow walked past, accompanied by three Gryffindor's, Fawn sat up eagerly.

"Will! Perfect timing! I was just starting to work on your dress and I could use your input." Fawn said to Willow before turning to Ron, Hermione and Harry, "I hope you guys won't mind if I steal her for a little bit." Willow smiled contently as she turned to the others as if to ask for dismissal. 

"Go ahead," Harry said with a smile. 

"Thanks guys, I'll catch up with you later." She waved before skipping to Fawn's side.

"Bye Will," The three said in unison, before Hermione added, "See you Fawn."

Willow took a seat as the group walked away and peered over Fawn's shoulder to catch a glimpse of her artwork. 

"I didn't know you were close with Harry." Fawn looked curiously at Will. 

"Yeah, I'm not even really sure how it happened." The Slytherin girl shrugged and Fawn hurried to correct the way she came across.

"Well, it's good that you're making new friends considering that Jordan has been pretty distant lately." Willow hung her head at the reminder, and the other girl winced at her tactlessness. 

"So," Fawn slapped her notebook, changing the subject, "I was thinking we could go for a sandy nude colour for your dress."

Willow raised her head to wrinkle her nose in disapproval, "I don't think I want that. The colour tan always makes me look more pale than I am." 

Fawn nodded in agreement before suggesting, "What about blue? Do you like blue?" 

Will thought for a moment, "Maybe. The only thing is that I wore blue last year and I really want this year's dress to be... special." Her heart fluttered at the thought of Toby taking her to the Yule ball, and she longed for that night to be perfect.

Fawn tapped the end of her pencil against her lip in thought, "Well, what colour do you want?" She asked. 

"Light pink?" Will suggested. 

Fawn mimicked Willow's previous wrinkled nose of disapproval. "Pink does not suit you." She stated. 

The two of them fell into an empty silence, each girl enveloped in her own thoughts. The sun had just finished settling behind the horizon leaving the two in a deep blue sky that was not yet overcome by darkness. The intense colour of the sky brought a winter chill that nipped at their fingertips, yet neither of them found the need to move. 

"Fawn," Willow suddenly broke the silence, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure Will, ask away." 

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Yesterday, when Draco said those things to you about your heritage, how did you stay so... so calm?" 

Fawn looked at her, unable to think of what to say. Willow continued. "If he said anything like that to me I know I would have kicked him in the face and gotten myself expelled. Yet what Draco said didn't even seem to bug you." 

"It did." Fawn breathed, "and it still does bug me a bit, but I know that I can't let that bitterness control me. If I had given into his persistence and fought back then he would have gotten exactly what he wanted." 

"But now everyone knows of your Veelan blood, the mocking and taunting will never stop unless you do something about it!" Willow exclaimed. 

"I don't feel the need to," explained Fawn, "I have accepted my foreign heritage and the fact that my blood is different because I know that it doesn't make me a monster. Though I am still not proud of my heritage and don't flaunt it, I am learning to accept it and welcome it as a part of me."

Willow furrowed her eyes in confusion as Fawn continued. 

"The only reason they go after us, Will, is because they are scared of what they don't know and jealous of what they don't have. But if you show your fairy heritage with confidence, they will have no choice but to accept you." 

A startling gasp suddenly escaped Fawn's lips, "That's it!" She exclaimed, "Your gown should reflect your fairy heritage!"

>>> • <<<

Thursday of the following week, the group planned to meet in their usual spot in the library. Willow, Tessa, and Fawn arrived first with the topic of the Yule Ball bouncing around. The three girls enjoyed each other's company, their lighthearted giggles carrying throughout the vast echoing library.

Michael and Tobias arrived shortly after their last class had ended and the girls dropped the conversation as they sat, figuring that it would bore them.

Over a full half an hour elapsed before Jordan finally decided to show up. "I'm so, so sorry I'm late." 

"Where were you anyway?" Willow asked with a raised eyebrow. "You've never been late."

"Probably spending time with Draco." Tessa said, distaste dripping from her words. Jordan turned her head to hide the embarrassment. 

Silence followed Jo as she took a deep breath and sat down at the table. Michael looked at her scowling in disapproval at the fact that she would even hang around such a vile boy. She shifted in her chair uncomfortably. 

"Why is it that you spend so much time with him anyway?" Michael thought out loud. 

Jordan knew she couldn't tell him the real reason, but the silence that followed his question she knew would not be satisfied with a shrug. So she forced yet another lie out of her mouth, "He was helping me with my History of Magic homework." 

"Really?" Willow asked doubtfully, for she knew how Jordan's eyes wandered when she lied. "So Draco has been helping with you with your History of Magic homework, everyday, till eleven the past week?" 

Michael's heart dropped at the thought. 

"No of course not!" Jordan defended, "I really don't see why it is such a problem for you guys that I am spending time with someone other than you! I don't choose who your other friends are, what makes you think you can have control over mine? Besides... he is actually a good person." She brought her voice down to a mumble. 

Michael scoffed, "He has insulted your friends, deprived you of your free time, and stolen you away from the people who actually give a damn about you! How is that being a good person?"

Jordan was taken aback by Michaels unfiltered thoughts. She sat with her jaw clenched, unintentionally leaving room for him to continue.

"And not only that but you are completely blind to what a monster he is all because you fancy him!" Michael shouted, informing nearly the entire library of their disagreement. Third and First years could be seen turning in their chairs to catch a piece of the gossip.

Jo looked to Willow, searching for even an inch of support, but there was none to be found. Willow looked away, unable to give her what she wanted, as what Michael was saying was all true. 

"He has a point, Jo." Willow painfully whispered with her eyes cast down. It felt unnatural for Willow to be on competing sides with Jordan. They had always been side-by-side when it came to arguments but in this case, Jordan chose the wrong side. "He has you wrapped around his finger." 

Willow's final words echoed throughout Jordan's head, becoming louder and louder with every reciting verse. 

"You claim to be the people who actually gives a damn about me, yet Draco is the one standing by me, and not scolding my every decision telling me that I'm wrong!" Jo snapped slamming her hands on the table bringing herself to her feet before storming out of the library. 

"What is up with her?" Fawn whispered worriedly. 

"I don't know but that boy is changing her." Willow shook her head mournfully. 

Tessa frowned but nodded in agreement, "You need to talk to her, Will." 

"Me?" Willow asked doubtfully, "She won't listen to me, Michael needs to talk to her."

"Oh no, don't drag me into this." Michael defended. 

"No Will's right," Fawn added, "If Michael were to confess his feelings for her, she wouldn't feel like she's out of place with us."

Michael blushed a deep shade of red at the mention of his feelings for the girl. He nervously readjusted his glasses in an attempt to hide behind them, he stayed quiet. 

"C'mon Michael." Toby nudged him in the side, "You should ask her to the Yule Ball."

"Yes!" All three girls exclaimed in unison. 

Michael stayed quiet looking down at the table. He hadn't asked her and had honestly not planned on even going at all. He was generally a really awkward dancer and his lanky limbs didn't help with that. He hated dancing with large groups of people and on top of that, asking Jordan to go with him with Draco as a competitor seemed like the last thing he wanted to do. 

Compared to him, she was confident, outspoken, loud, outgoing, spontaneous, and a bit of a flirt, and she always enjoyed light hearted banter and mischief. In the end, Michael feared breaking her heart more than caring about her and that drove a wedge between his mind and heart. 

The following week, Jordan waited till the last ten minutes of the group's get-together arrive, panting as she burst through the doors. She once again muttered an apology that made no amends among the group.

The five looked at each other, silently deciding that it was better to leave early than to have another argument with Jo. Quite frankly, they all shared a sense of surprise that she even bothered to show up at all. They all packed up there stuff not saying anything to the red haired girl.

Michael passed, but not without a glare of disapproval, feeling the most betrayed out of all of them while disguising it behind his anger. 

Willow stopped and looked at Jordan once everyone had left the table, "I'm so glad you finally decided to show up." she said in an exasperated tone. 

Guilt shot through Jordan. "I'm really sorry Will. Draco was--"

"I don't want to hear about Draco." Willow cut her off, "Just, do us all a favour and don't bother coming next week."

With that Willow gathered her books and swept out of the library, leaving Jordan at the empty table with a hollow heart. 

 

 

 

Word Count: 2951


	10. Three Brooksticks

Draco gently intertwined his fingers with Jordan's, sending an array of warm shivers down her spine. He took the lead, bringing her down a street she recognized well, although she didn't have the slightest idea where he was bringing her.

 

"Where are you taking me?" she asked curiously, Jordan normally wasn't one for surprises, but the glint in Draco's eye made it hard for her to feel bored. Draco's hand gave a strange warmth, although it did not keep her from shivering in the cold air as the snow was beginning to stick to the window sills and rooftops. 

"You'll see once we get there." he smiled as he wrapped his scarf around her shoulders to keep her warm. 

As they approached the place Draco had been leading her, he covered her eyes with his hands and led her into the little shop before she could read the name.

She huffed, slightly put off by his invasive touch, although he didn't seem to notice. As they entered she tried to identify the scent, but the shop was strangely unfamiliar. It smelt not of candy or chocolate, nor did it smell of wood or stone. Neither did the sound of animals or the ring of bells fill the space in which they stood. With no clues, all she could do was wonder.

Finally, after leading her to the back of the boutique, Draco released his hands, allowing for Jordan's round, green eyes to gaze upon a magnificent ball gown. She instantly put together that she was in a dress shop and the gown before her eyes was intended for her. 

She turned to catch Draco smiling at the gown proudly. "It's for you." He encouraged softly. 

Jordan stayed silent as she stepped closer to the entanglement of mixed fabrics. She ran her fingers along the dark green skirt of the gown, admiring the matte, opaque fabric covering layers upon layers of tulle. She examined the corset of the matching colour and was captivated by the dramatic neckline. 

She looked back at Draco, searching for answers that were not yet spoken. 

He grabbed her hand, showing her the ring on her finger. "It matches the ring from your parents," the boy licked his lips with his eyes set on her delicate hand held within his own, "I was hoping that you would take up position your parents ask of you, and be my date to the Yule Ball."

Jordan often wore long sleeves that she could easily pull down to cover her ring when she was around her other friends, for Willow knew of the significance the ring held. However, as she examined the dress once more, she saw that it had no sleeves, no pockets, nothing to hide the loyalty she was pledging herself to. 

Her heart throbbed in her throat, she suddenly regret the hole she had dug for herself, for the walls consist of quicksand and there was no hope of climbing out.

She felt cornered, "Draco, I—"

"It was no problem, really, anything for you." His smile shone through his bright blue eyes, "and it is custom fit for you already so you don't have to worry about a thing." 

Jordan stayed speechless, unaware of what to do. If she went to the ball with Draco, she would be openly displaying her allegiance with the Slytherin boy and there would be no turning back. Her friends would have to be dead to her, and her to them, but she knew she was not ready for such commitment. 

Gears in her mind turned for someone who she could take instead, to put off the distancing just a little bit longer, but who else would she go with if not Draco? All her other friends have given up on her already and she knew Michael would never ask her to go with him even if they did make amends.

"Jo," Draco whispered, "there is no one else I would rather take."

The pressure behind such a simple assembly of heartfelt words brought Jordan to do something she was not ready to do. 

"Yes Draco, I will go with you."

The Slytherin boy kissed her cheek with victory glinting in his eyes before embracing her in a hug. With Draco's body flush against hers, Jordan's stomach did a somersault that she feared he could feel. Though she embraced the slim, pale boy tightly, thankful for the moment to hide the heartache written on her face.

>>> • <<<

Sun filtered through the windows of the library as Harry called to Willow and her friends at a far table. "Hey Willow!" Hermione and Ron trailed at the scrawny wizard's side as he walked up to the full table, "We were just going to head over to the Three Broomsticks if you guys wanted to join us." 

Willow hesitated to respond as she wasn't sure how her friends felt about the trio. She looked to the others who showed no resistance, so she nodded, "We would love to." she smiled as she stood to her feet along with the others. Tessa was already familiar with the three and had no trouble striking a conversation with Hermione. 

Willow, Tessa, Fawn, Toby, and Michael followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the restaurant and claimed a table for eight. The group quickly grew comfortable with each other, and found they thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. The witches and wizards mixed into unexpected clusters as they took their seats, all sharing laughs and smiles and stories in a friendly manner.

The air suddenly became cold and dense as Willow caught a glimpse of a certain Slytherin girl seated at a distant table. Michael followed her gaze and mirrored her displeased frown as he noticed Jordan laughing at a table with a group of Slytherins.

Jordan was sitting across the pub unaware of the new group that had noticed her. She was laughing at something Draco had said, when she made eye contact with Willow. The redhead's eyes widened before awkwardly averting them back to the table full of chortling Slytherins.

Draco watched with narrowed eyes the short and wordless exchange. "I can't believe that you're old friends are hanging with Potter, it's a good thing you got out in time." He pulled her towards him gently until she was flush to his side. 

"I agree. Plus, we are much better company." stated Blaise proudly. Crabbe and Goyle let out a string of deep, mindless guffaws before exchanging a round of mocking comments. Jordan shifted restlessly in her seat as she tried to ignore the cruel commentary. The action did not go unnoticed by Draco.

"I don't understand why you still can't be totally comfortable with me when they're around," Draco whispered to Jordan. "Just relax."

"I'm sorry, I just feel uncomfortable because they think I've chosen you over them." replied Jordan in a hushed tone. The whispered words were so quiet that though the other Slytherins strained to hear, only Draco caught the confession.

"Isn't that exactly what happened?" Draco let the words fall on Jordan with a strong blunt force. Jordan had to restrain a flinch. 

She was silent for a moment, but hesitantly dropped her head in a dejected nod. Jordan forced her eyes away from Draco's harsh stare as she sipped her butterbeer. For a moment she let herself watch her best friend laugh charmingly with Toby.

Willow felt a subtle ache as she saw Jordan ignoring her old friends but she shoved away the wayward emotion as she turned back to her conversation with Harry and Toby. The latter grabbed her hand tenderly under the table and glanced over at her with an affectionate grin. 

Toby saw the flash of hurt in her eyes before she masked it. His grin faded into a concerned frown as he dropped her hand to wrap his arm around her. "We are here to have a good time. Don't let her bother you." He advised.

"It still hurts." Her lips pressed together as she looked down. 

"It does now, but after a while the pain will ease and it won't bother you." He said before letting his arm slip off her shoulder. "I'm going to go get us butterbeer." He slipped out of the booth and Willow turned to a separate conversation. She just caught Tessa asking Ron about his siblings. 

"I have 6 siblings. Five older brothers. Charlie, Bill, Percy, Fred and George and then my little sister Ginny." He answered in a grin. He had butter beer on the top of his lip, and his smile turned sheepish as he wiped it off. 

Fawn let out a laugh as the boy turned a bright red and brought the sweet drink to his mouth again in a shy gesture. 

Harry unknowingly saved Ron from further embarrassment when he turned to Michael "So I've noticed you watching Jordan... are you going to ask her to the ball, or are you into that other girl, Alexa, is it?" He asked. 

Michael mood immediately soured as he huffed. "Why would I ask Jordan? She's probably already going with Draco. I don't really want to go anyways." He confessed with a shrug. His lanky shoulders were pulled taut with tension at the question.

Jordan couldn't spend one more minute watching her old friends, so she turned to Draco. "Can we go please, I don't want to be here anymore" she mumbled, causing Draco to look at the booth filled with the mismatched students from different houses.

"Or we can go over there." He remarked with a bitter sarcasm. Jordan shook her head sharply in response. 

Draco tugged Jordan out of her seat and put his hand on her lower back to guide her towards the door, near where her old friends and the Potter trio were sitting. 

Seeing the Slytherins passing, Willow smiled up at Jordan. "Hey Jo, why don't you come join us?" She asked in a desperate last-ditch effort to restore their friendship was more accurate. Jordan could see the pleading in the blonde's eyes. 

Jordan felt sick with the resignation that sat in her stomach, but with a nudge from Draco, she shook herself away from her feelings with a brisk shake of her head. "I don't hang around with the filth you have brought with you." Jordan said with her nose up, referring to the Gryffindor trio and the Veelan. "Not that your much better, you and your fairy mixed blood." 

Her tone was bitter as she gestured to the occupants of the table before turning with fake arrogance and walking out of the Three Broomsticks. She held her head high and her heart together as she walked with Draco and company back to Hogwarts.

Willow turned a shade of green, feeling sick to her stomach at her once-best-friend's, not to mention lifelong best friend's, change of heart. Toby wrapped his arm around her to comfort her although it made no amends in the girl's broken heart.

Her mind wanted to reject the fact that Jordan had degraded her about her heritage straight to her face. For half of her life Jordan had stood beside them, and for them, she had even stood up to Draco. But now that she was with Malfoy, she was becoming just as much of a purest as the rest of them, and Willow hated every moment of it. 

With terrible timing, Oak entered the Pub only minutes after Jordan had left, he caught sight of Willow at her table of friends and sauntered over with a smirk. He took in the faces at the table, the devastation and anger on Willow's, and slowly dropped his grin. Scanning the people one more time, he realised the absence of a particular person. 

"Mind if I join you?" He asked instead of commenting on the heartache. Harry welcomed him into the already crowded booth despite that he was competition. They all shuffled to make room.

He took a seat next to Hermione, bringing a blush to her cheeks. He smiled at her before examining the rest of the witches and wizards sitting comfortably at the table. 

"Where's Jordan?" Oak asked tentatively with a furrowed brow. "Isn't she always with you?" He directed at Willow. 

Willow looked at him with a dead glare. "She's with Malfoy." Her tone bitter and cold.

Oak didn't ask about Jordan again as he could tell that it struck a chord with his sister. He changed the subject. "So, who has dates to the Yule Ball?" He asked the group with a curious smirk. He could see Toby's and Willows hands interlocked as they looked at each other nervously. 

"No need to ask you two." Oak grumbled. He came across as playful although his protective nature for his little sister brought a negative and awkward feeling for the Hufflepuff boy. "What about the rest of you?" He continued to pry. 

Tessa nugged Fawn firmly and her face became a bright shade of pink as everyone's attention was diverted to her. Despite this, she stayed quiet. 

"Come on Fawn, don't be shy." Hermione teased with a poke to her side. 

"Fine! I have a date..." She blurted out. 

Considering the girls at the table were the only ones that knew of the arrangement, Fawn received a few odd looks from a couple of the boys.

"What!? Hoof head has a date!?" Toby marveled. 

"Who!?" Michael blurted out.

"Terry." She blushed a further shade of pink, "He's in Ravenclaw." She added for the rest of the company. 

The girl's closest friends, excluding Willow who was staring out the window mindlessly, approved with a few ooh's and aww's as a Tessa squealed. She had been waiting for her best friend to find interest in one of the boys that had been swooning over her for years. As for Harry, Ron and Oak, looks of surprise flooded their faces. All wondering the same question, how did a guy like him manage to get one of the most beautiful girls in Hogwarts?

Harry whispered to Ron, "How did that happen? She is out of his league." Although Ron simply looked down shamefully, not acknowledging his friend's comment. 

Oak noticed the boy's look of disappointment and decided to ask, "Having trouble getting a date, Ron?" he observed.

Ron couged to cover up his embarrassment, he badly wanted to ask Hermione but he couldn't find the courage to do so and by then it was too late, Oak had already asked her. "I don't really know who to ask." Ron answered with a shrug. 

"Why don't you ask one of the twins? Like that Padme girl, you've met her before!" Harry suggested.

"Yeah! She's nice." Tessa encouraged, "But if all else fails, Micheal will take you." She said as she elbowed the Ravenclaw boy. 

"I will?" 

"Well you don't have a date either!"

"Well--"

"I will fully support that!" Fawn chimed in.

"Then it's settled!" Tessa triumphed although the boys simultaneously shook their heads in disagreement. 

"Now we just need dates for you two." Fawn playfully smirked at Tessa and Harry who sat across from each other.

Toby wiggled his eyebrows at Harry, encouraging him to ask the Colombian girl. 

The blood showed beneath the dark skin of Tessa's face, a look that Harry unintentionally mimicked. Although he shrugged off the embarrassment and looked at her to ask, "If you don't have anyone else in mind, would you want to go with me?"

Tessa chuckled, "Sure Harry," she shrugged playfully, "I'll go with you." 

He smiled brightly. 

"Besides," She added, "It's not like I have anyone else to go with." She teased. 

"Well would you look at that! We're all taken care of." Oak announced as he wrapped an arm around Hermione at his side. 

The majority of the group beamed proudly of the arrangement, although Willow couldn't focus on anything but the girl that had walked away long ago.

Willow wasn't much like her usual, bubbly self. Ever since Jordan had begun gaining distance from her at a rapid speed, she got less excited about the things that would normally have her bursting at the seems. Bit by bit, she became less joyful, less excited and less like Willow. 

She sighed before forcing a smile the best she could. She had to do this for them, and she would.

>>> • <<<

As the day moved later into the evening people slowly began to leave, the golden trio were the last to leave the remaining Willow, Michael and Oak in the dark, empty Pub. Cold winter air seeped through the cracks of the door, bringing chills to Willow's fair skin. 

"Just to clarify," Ron mentioned to Michael before leaving, "We aren't going to the Yule Ball together, right?"

"No," Michael dragged out, "I have someone else in mind." 

"Great," Ron cleared his throat, "I think I might ask Padme anyways." 

"Best of luck, Ron!" Oak wished the boy as he left with the two other Gryffindors. 

A dead silence filled the air between the remaining three, each with a heaviness weighing on their hearts. Oak looked to Willow and then to Michael. 

"I have to ask," Oak started, "you two were Jordan's best friends and now she won't even be seen with you, what happened? Has she moved to the white boy instead?"

Michael sighed in irritation. "She fancies Malfoy, he's manipulating her." He responded.

"Don't you share a dorm with her Willow?" Asked Oak.

"Yes but she is only there to sleep." She grumbled, "She comes in late, after I've already gone to bed and wakes up early before I wake up! I never even see her!"

"Have you tried talking to her?" Oak pried further.

"She told me that she needs space to figure things out and wants me to be patient. But I'm running out of it." Willow crossed her arms in frustration.

Oak noticed the anger and anguish the two felt about the unfortunate situation and tried his best to give them helpful advice. "Giving her space is great, but you also need to be there for her." Oak told his younger sister, "The only way this is ever going to get better is if you two communicate to her how much it bothers you."

"She doesn't want anything to do with us anymore, Oak." Michael added wistfully. "She has become just as much as a purest as the rest of them." 

Willow sighed as if she had lost all hope. She still couldn't fully comprehend that Jordan was choosing Draco over lifelong friends and remained baffled by the fact that Jordan would make such a comment about other houses as well as her and Fawn's blood 'impurity'.

A feeling of dismay that tugged and plucked at the strings of her heart and filled her stomach with an insect less gentle than a butterfly gave Willow a feeling of complete and utter emptiness. The part that hurt her the most however, is that she was helpless, and all she could do was sit and wait for her heart to run out of music and the bugs to consume the lining of her stomach.

 

 

 

Word Count: 3184


	11. Dresses

All the loose ends left over from exams were finally being tied up with a bow and placed under the Christmas tree as Christmas day was rolling around the corner. Despite the excitement for presents and the feast, another event outshone the old-as-time holiday in the Hogwart Castle: the Yule Ball. Being only two short days away, all anyone could talk about was who was wearing what, who was taking who and how many days till the much anticipated night. 

Fawn spent most of her time cooped up in her dorm at the sewing machine on her desk, with her fingers following the familiar pattern and her eyes glued to the fabric for hours on end. She refused to cut corners when designing what were to be the most beautiful gowns at the ball.

The work paid off as hours later, Fawn stood with victory in her Hufflepuff dorm. The room glowed with golden sunlight that was accented by the assortments of yellows, as she stood admiring her finished work. After casting a spell that held the dresses above the ground to keep them from dragging, Fawn left her dorm with her two friends' dresses trailing behind her as she made her way to an empty classroom in one of the far towers. 

The blonde girl triumphantly marched through the halls and staircases, until she peaked her head through the door of the abandoned lecture hall, panting slightly. "Do you guys want to see your dresses?" Fawn asked while simultaneously announcing her arrival. 

Tessa grinned and jumped out of her seat eagerly while Willow followed close behind, slightly nervous. A small feeling of doubt came along with Fawn's idea of having Will's dress reflect her Forest Fairy heritage, or 'compliment' it as Fawn described. 

"I still have some final touches to add on the night of the ball, but I need you two to try them on and see how they fit." Fawn explained as she entered the room with the floating gowns at her side.

Tessa squealed at the sight while Willow stood speechless with an open jaw. 

"Where's yours, Fawn?" Tessa asked while Willow recovered from the shock.

"I wanted to make sure that I finished both of your dresses first, mine is not yet finished so I decided not to bring it. Now stop procrastinating, try them on!" Fawn encouraged impatiently. 

Tessa approached her hovering gown and when it fell perfectly into her arms at the touch of her hand, she ran to a hidden back room to change. Willow did the same in an awestruck daze. 

Tessa emerged from the room first with excitement painted on her features. The matte, deep burgundy-red fabric reached up to the base of her neck with thick straps stretching to the tips of her shoulders. The mermaid-style hugged her curvy figure, complimenting all the right places before flaring out through carefully crafted seams at the bends of her knees. 

"I love it, Fawn!" Tessa expressed with a tight hug for her best friend.

"I'm so glad." she mumbled into Tessa's shoulder, barely able to breathe. The colombian let Fawn free of the hug to go admire the dress once again in the glossy reflection of a standing mirror. 

Willow finally emerged from her place of hiding, revealing herself to the two girls who waited for her. The fairy's cheeks flushed, feeling almost shy as she had tucked her long white hair behind her pointed ears.

Her dress tinted a pale green was held up by two wide-set, thin straps that dropped low into her chest, although keeping her modest. The body piece tightly fitted her slim, fit physique with the remaining fabric draping loosely from her hips and to the floor. A tall slit up the right side of the dress revealed Willow's fair, freckled leg adding the finishing touch to the girl's simply, elegant dress.

Tessa and Fawn squealed in unison. 

"Look at you!" Tessa exclaimed.

"I don't know about this, Fawn." Willow worried, "It's very... fairy-like." 

"Will," Fawn grabbed her by the hands and looked her in her lavender coloured eyes that were complimented by the colour of the dress. "I know you're afraid, but the only way to overcome your fears is to face them. And all the mocking and taunting won't even be able to touch you if you face them with confidence and self acceptance. Don't fear your heritage, Willow, embrace it!"

"And besides," Tessa chimed in as she rested a comforting hand on Willow's shoulder, "the people that truly care about you, love you and will continue to love you regardless of your mixed blood status."

Willow smiled at the girls, "You're right," she admitted, "I think Jordan really just got in my head."

A part of Tessa sparked and burned in fury that Jordan would bring back such an insecurity in Willow, it pained her that she would be so inconsiderate. There's a million other things she could have said to avoid spending time with them, but to insult Willow's fairy heritage, especially knew of her friend's self-doubt, was purely cruel and insanely purist. Whoever that was, it wasn't Jordan. The thought left her blood simmering, and the heat lingered in her veins for the rest of the day. 

>>> • <<<

Jordan sat alone with her nose in a book in the library. Snowflakes spun ferociously from the dark sky in unpredictable patterns and spirals just outside the window where she sat, and with every howling blast of wind she became more grateful for the strong wall standing between her, and the bitter cold chaos. 

Michael entered the library unnoticed by the girl, the corners of his lips turned gently upward at the sight of Jordan curled up peacefully by the window, he felt relieved that not all of Jordan was lost, for she still loved to read on stormy days. He took in the moment of silent harmony, before facing the disarray of the two students' tangled discord. 

With slow, hesitant movements, Michael sat down across from Jordan. She didn't take her eyes off her book, although his presence overwhelmed her with a radiation strong as a lumos spell in the darkest of nights. 

"Um... hi, Jordan." He started, the feeling of awkwardness nearly clogging his throat. "H-how have you been?" He asked.

She hesitated, as if the sight of his familiar face caused the words to tie around her tongue. "I've been well..." she managed. "And you?" she bit her lip so hard it nearly bled, she felt a flash of heat from nervousness. This was a conversation she was hoping to avoid, she raised her book to her face once again in an attempt to hide behind it.

"I'm fine, yes, but well, uh, I was--I was wondering, If um..." he stumbled over his words, stammering on every syllable, "What I mean to say is, J-Jo, if you don't already have a, a date, would you want to um, well... would you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?" His whole face flushed a violent shade of red as he struggled to spew his last few words. 

Jordan's heart sank deep into her hollow stomach, though she kept her face as neutral as she could. She struggled hard to keep her wavering eyes from betraying her, showing the sadness she felt. 

"Draco asked me a week or so after the Yule ball was announced." She kept her eyes cast down as she swallowed a groan. "You're too late, Michael." The words flopped off her tongue and landed awkwardly in the space between them. It didn't take long for the embarrassment and melancholy to set in. 

In stubborn persistence, Michael built up confidence to protest, "You don't have to go with him, Jordan. All you have to do is tell him you are going with someone else."

"I don't appreciate being an afterthought, Michael." She snapped, all feelings of regret quickly consumed by the anger. "A last resort! If you wanted to go with me you should have thought of it sooner." She picked herself up along with her book and stormed away from him, leaving him as she stumbled into Draco before reaching the exit. 

He observed Jordan's distraught expression and found himself staring deep into a equally troubled Ravenclaw boy. 

"What are you doing here Klukovich?" He asked in a tone that was as cold and hard and ice. Michael quivered at the possessive tone. 

"Nothing, I was just leaving." Michael said with his eyes to the floor, there was more he had wanted to say to Jordan, but now was not the time. He passed by them swiftly, leaving the Slytherin couple to stare down his back as he left the room. 

Jordan slumped against Draco's side once Michael had slipped out of sight; their little interaction had drained her and all she wanted was to forget the whole encounter. Draco supported her as he looked down with a spark of tenderness showing in his eyes under all the false layers. "What did Michael want?" he asked her, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. 

"He wanted to know if I would go to the Yule Ball with him tonight." she replied almost shamefully.

A short grunt escaped Draco's lips, so small that Jordan almost missed it. "Well, I'm glad I got you first." He smirked as he tightened his grip around her arm. 

She smiled up at him through closed lips, unsure of how else to respond. 

Jordan's gut turned and curled, she felt almost sick to her stomach at the thought of going with Michael, albeit she got the same feeling when Draco had asked her. Even though a part of her longed to go with the Ravenclaw boy, the rest of her wanted to be with the Slytherin. She knew she could only be with one and it was a painful choice she forced herself to make in a fleeting moment, although she felt better about her choice with everyday that passed. 

"Jordan," The boy's voice pierced through her thoughts. "I would like to give you something." 

He smiled as he pulled out a small, white box, tied up with a satin ribbon. "I just couldn't bring myself to wait till the Yule Ball to give this to you." 

Jordan looked up at him curiously, hesitating to grab the little present from Draco's hands. 

"Merry Christmas Jordan." He whispered with a smile, encouraging her to accept the gift. Finally Jordan reached for the box and held it tightly within her grasp, hardly able to breath as she untied the ribbon. 

Inside held an heirloom necklace, placed perfectly on the bed of velvet where it lay. A simple spiral chain with an intricate design of twisted silver and crystal dangling from the center sat in the box between her fingers. But what caught Jordan's eye first, was the dazzling green gem hanging from between the spinning silver centerpiece. 

She instantly recognized it. She had seen Draco's mother wear it a night her and her parent were invited to the Malfoy mansion for dinner. Jordan remembered how proud Draco's mother was to wear it, telling the story of how it had been given to her by her mother. 

"I can't accept this Draco, it's too much."

"No I insist, it has been in my family for generations, and with no female descendant, there is no one I would rather to receive it." An odd glimmer stirred in his eyes as the tips of his lips curled up in satisfaction.

Shivers ran up Jordan's spine, but with their gazes tethered, she leaned in closer to him, figuring it could excused by the cold, although what gave her the goosebumps was a longing for something much bigger than warmth. And for the first time in a while, Jordan forgot of all that held her captive within her own mind and felt peaceful. 

>>> • <<<

Michael sat, confided by the tower in which he sat with his reticent eyes hidden behind the pages of a book. This had always been the place he would come when he wanted to clear his mind or be free of other people, although the familiar method did him not as much clarity as he had hoped. He eventually made his descent back down the spiral staircase and into the remaining castle grounds just as lunch break had ended. He walked the halls with his book clutched in his arms when he ran into Toby. 

Toby smiled at Michael. "Hey, where were you? You totally went M.I.A, you didn't show up for breakfast or anything."

"I wasn't hungry, I figured reading would be a better use of time." He spilled, dodging the rejection from Jordan the previous night. 

Toby shrugged "Are you ready for the Ball tonight?" he asked as he took the empty spot by his side, playfully elbowing him.

"I'm not going." He stated bluntly. Toby looked at him, searching for signs of sarcasm, but there was no humour in his features. 

"What? Why?" Toby questioned as they began to make their way through the wide expanse of halls.

"Why would I? I have no one to go with, and nothing nice to wear."

"All your friends are going to be there and you're going to have a good time." he said in a matter of fact tone. "And even though Jordan turned you down-"

"She didn't turn me down, I didn't ask her, and she's going with the ferret." he stated, interrupting Toby.

"You could find some other lucky girl?" He suggested.

"Like who?"

"Go for Pansy, that'll rub them both the wrong way." He joked dryly. "Just not Alexa. Please, Michael, I'm telling you she is bad news." He said seriously as a shiver ran up his spine. "But seriously, come, we all want you there."

Michael made a noise of discontent and shrugged. "Maybe, but don't count on it." he stated, looking down at his friend. Michael then broke off to make his way to his common room before Toby could try to convince him further; he had already made his decision. 

 

 

Word Count:2353


	12. The Yule Ball

Willow felt as if the weight of her entire life's secrets took the form of iron wings on her back, holding her captive to the fear she felt.

She watched her glossy reflection in the mirror of the bathroom where she stood in her pale, fairy-green dress, but no matter how many times she shifted her stance, posed, or adjusted the fabric draping her body, she still felt as though she would rather hide in the confidments of her regular clothing.

Tessa and Fawn waited impatiently outside the bathroom for Willow, who hopped nervously behind the walls of the restroom.

"C'mon Will!" Fawn hollered at her, "We want to see!"

"She's right. Stop being so worried, tranquila todo estará bien!" Tessa said.

Willow finally mustered up enough courage to step out from the wall she hid behind. The dress she had spent so long worrying about look phenomenal on her, complimenting every aspect she found pride in as the thin, flowing fabric dragged behind her feet like a curtain of water, following her every step. Willow's leg peaked through the slit in the draping skirt.

Willow had her hair done up in loosely elegant twists to the back of her head, revealing the pointed ears she would usually be so careful to hide. To top off the look, a shimmery gold colour painted her eyelids, drawing attention to the purple of her eyes she had never before shown off. Tessa and Fawn subconsciously agreed that it was like looking at a completely different girl.

A charming smile took a place on Fawn's features as she clasped her hands together in pride from her work. "Oh Will," She marveled, "You look stunning. Everyone's going to love it." Tessa nodded in agreement.

Although Willow trusted her friend's word, she couldn't help but feel unsettled, like she wouldn't be accepted.

"We gotta go girls, we're going to miss the opening dance." Tessa interjected as she turned to race out the door.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" Fawn called out, "I've got one last finishing touch for your dress, Willow." With that. Fawn pulled out her wand, tapping it on her free hand in a jittery excitement. 

Willow took a stance in front of her, unsure of what Fawn had in mind. A shot of nerves sparking up behind her eyes as the Veelan girl lifted her wand. 

Fawn whispered a spell under her breath as she spun her wand in small circular motions, a light trail of gold dust flowing behind creating a swirling pattern of magic. The stream of dust began to clump and mold into unidentifiable shapes until little gold leaves started to form. They spun around Willow as if they were being carried by a gentle whirlwind before peacefully settling on her sleeves, shoulders and skirt. 

Willow stretched out her arms in front of her to examine the enchanting embroidery, swaying in her dress in awe and excitement as she watched the gold leaves sparkle. The precious metal crowned her in a new confidence and a spark of pride flashed in her eyes, overcoming the nerves.

"It's perfect." Willow whispered, almost breathlessly.

Fawn smiled triumphantly before dismissing the act with a kirt wave. Linking arms with her, Fawn lead the way off towards the direction of the ball room with Tessa at her side.

As the three of them made their way to the ball through the empty hallway, they passed by Myrtle's bathroom. With a sharp flash of recollection, Willow remembered her brother's date.

"I'll meet you guys there," Willow burst. "I've got something I need to do." 

Fawn's head snapped up when Willow abruptly dropped her elbow. Her wide-eyed gaze narrowed in suspicion after a moment of examination. "What? I thought we were going together?"

Willow gave her a placating pat on the arm before turning to dash down a hallway to the right. Before she completely disappeared, she yelled over her shoulder, "I know, I know; I'll be right back, I promise!"

With that, Willow picked up the gauzy fabric of her dress as she sped into the haunted bathroom without another word, just narrowly missing a large puddle. "Hermione?" She teetered unsteadily for a moment before regaining her balance and peering around curiously.

She almost fell into the puddle again when saw a silvery figure in Hogwart robes floating above the molding sink. "Oh, you should see her," the ghost giggled, drifting towards Willow. "I barely recognised her."

"Myrtle?" The blonde gave a quick scan of the bathroom. "Did she leave?"

"No I'm still here." Willows head whipped around to see Hermione peek out from around the nearest stall door, hesitant and unsure. 

Myrtle was right, Hermione was nearly unrecognizable. Her usually unruly, frizzy hair was twisted up as the loose pieces fell down into perfect curls. The periwinkle dress clung to her torso delicately before flowing out around her waist into a layered skirt. The sheer fabric of her small sleeves and layered skirt was not unlike that of Willow's dress, and it brought out a delicate, feminine look in the stubborn and strong witch. 

Willow's expression did not do well to hide her awe as she exclaimed, "You look simply stunning! My brother isn't prepared in the slightest!"

Her compliment brought a light blush to Hermione's cheeks. "You look amazing too, it's different--" Willow's body showed her embarrassment. "--It looks nice. It really suits you."

The latterly unfettered fairy glowed with a new-found confidence, also feeling as though this was who she wanted to be. She wanted to be the girl who owned her anomalous nature rather than the girl who fought with herself to hide from it. For the first time without Jordan, Willow felt like herself. The thought sent an aching pang through her chest, while settled in her lungs like a stormcloud, heavy with bitter rain.

Swallowing the tempest in her throat, Willow replied, "Thanks to Fawn, she's a miracle worker. Now C'mon! We're going to be late!"

The fae-witch tugged Hermione out of Myrtle's Bathroom and into an empty hall. Their footsteps echoed loudly off the high ceilings, and the steady thumping filled Willow's ears. The closer the pair got to the hall, the faster the pounding went, even as their pace slowed. Willow was confused for only a moment until she realized the rhythm was actually her heartbeat. 

"What will they say?" Willow let the words fall out of her mouth unrestrained. Once her mind caught up with her tongue, she realized the thought had been rattling around in her head as they ran through the abandoned halls.

Hermione slowed her steps as she looked over at her hesitant friend. "What does it matter?"

Willow's lips curled up gently, almost feeling relieved at the answer. "What does it..." she mused, before before picking up another train of thought and turning to Hermione. "Come on, we shouldn't leave our dates waiting long. Take it from me, Oak is incredibly impatient."

The witches smiled at one another, until Willow picked another thought. "Speaking of which, you and my brother seemed to have gotten along just fine." Hermione's cheeks flushed, and Willow hurried to explain. "I don't mind, he's a good guy. I think you two would make really good friends."

Willow watched Hermione's eyebrows twitch slightly, as if she had expected to hear a different word. 

Noticing the witch's reaction, Will struggled to mend the accidental insult she had implied, "N-not that he doesn't like, you like that, he just..." 

Willow trailed off at the sight of the broad, arched doors leading to the ball, they had approached the entrance before they even knew it. The two poked their heads around the corner, immediately catching sight of Oak who was leaning against an intricate stone pillar while striking what seemed to be interesting conversation with Harry.

"Speaking of him..." Hermione whispered, although she couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows in confusion as she watched Oak lean in uncomfortably close to the other wizard with a blushing red colour painted on his cheeks and a sly look she didn't recognize. 

Willow shook Hermione out of her daze with a kind grip to her friend's arm, "We can't wait out here forever, right?" Will broke the silence to say. "Together?"

"Together."

They stepped onto the staircase, Willow immediately caught the attention of Toby who was dressed up elegantly in a navy tux and a look of awe on his features. He smiled and met her half way through the entrance. She grabbed his shaking outstretched hand, feeling breathless at the sight of his charming smile, although, he looked like he was going to pass out. His cheeks and nose were deep red and his expression showed his anxiousness.

"Do you...?" He trailed off as he lost himself in her eyes. Willow raised her eyebrows, her lips stretched into a goofy smile.

"Go inside?" She supplied, grinning wildly. Her heart stuttered at the effect she had on him, especially when it made him more adorable than usual. 

"Yes. Yes of course, do want to go inside?" He shook his head slightly, still fumbling with an embarrassed smile stretching his flushed cheeks.

His flustered features however, grew giddy at the blonde's reply. "Of course."

With a proud, knowing glint in her eyes, Tessa elbowed Harry. "They are the perfect couple." She stage-whispered to the messy-haired wizard.

As the intended couple flushed deeper, Tessa watched Harry halfheartedly respond, "Yeah, they're great." Catching the odd note in his tone, the Colombian witch turned slightly only to find him watching a smiling couple conversing quietly on the opposite side of the grand ballroom. Cedric was leaning closer to Cho as she delicately giggled at something he said. 

A sympathetic frown took place on Tessa's face. "You know, Harry, just because we came together doesn't mean we are bound together with a ball and chain." She said jokingly, grinning at the boy before leaning slightly closer. "If you get a chance, you should take up the opportunity to ask her to dance." Her voice, soft and encouraging.

A spark of hope lit in his bright green eyes as he gave her a gratifying smile with a nod.

They stood in a comfortable silence, watching the students around them talk and laugh with each other in celebration and harmony before Harry rose his voice. 

"What about you Tessa? Anyone you have your eye on?" he pried with a curious smirk. 

Tessa eyes widened in surprise before bursting into a round of giggles. "Oh no," she dismissed the idea with a wave, "haven't found anyone that I can put up with yet." 

Harry chuckled. 

The pair turned to look as they heard grumbling and shuffling behind them, only to see Michael tugging at the sleeves of his dress robe. His endearing frame looked more awkward than usual in the ill-fitting fabric, to no-one's surprise, barely anything fit his lanky body.

Beside him stumbled Ron, who seemed to be attempting to tug the lace off of an ancient dress robe. Seeing the group's wide-eyed gazes, he flushed a colour vibrant enough to rival his hair. 

"It's what my mum sent." he grumbled, violently tugging on a loose string. Everyone watched with dismay as the string simply unraveled further instead of snapping. 

As Ron went to pull again, Fawn threw up her hands. "Please! Don't make that robe more of a disaster than it already is!"

Tessa snickered, while Willow was slightly more discreet as she coughed. Still grinning, the fiery witch commented, "Are you sure that's possible?"

Toby and Oak joined Willow's sudden coughing fit while Fawn shot a glare at Tessa. "It's nothing I can't give a quick fix." 

Mumbling a few staccato phrases, Fawn gave little pokes and prods to the dress robe, with Ron letting out a few sharp complaints. Within a couple of moments, the feminine colour had darkened considerable and the lace had fallen away to reveal neat seams. With one last grumble, she roughly pulled off the laced cravat and straightened a tie that was procured out of nowhere. 

Stepping back, Fawn sighed. "Not perfect, but considering you didn't come to me sooner, it's the best I could do." She sent a look towards Michael that clearly implied that the statement was for him as well. 

Willow thought she had done wonderfully, but at second glance she could see the robes still did not fit quite right, much like Michael's. The boys would have to make do however, as just then Professor McGonagall approached the now small crowd. 

"I suggest that you and Miss De La Rosa get ready for your dance, Mr. Potter." Her aged face was stern, but her eyes held a trace of amusement. 

Harry's eyes went wide with panic, and his voice was choked with alarm. "My what?" 

"The champions have the opening dance, Harry." Hermione turned to him, prepared to lecture him. "I did tell you that."

"Ah yes, and you two as well, Mr. Brodigan, Miss Granger." She peared at them over her glasses. "The rest of you should get inside, so you can be ready."

As the Champions and their dates followed McGonagall, Tobias held his elbow out for Willow in a gentlemanly gesture. "Shall we?"

The Hufflepuff boy obviously intended for the action to be smooth and confident, but he flushed slightly when he looked once more at the stunning fae-creature in front of him. 

Willow smiled warmly, taking his arm. "We shall." Seeing his flustered blush, her heart almost burst with sudden affection. You're not exactly suave Toby, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

The couple drifted towards the edges of the ballroom with Fawn and her date, Terry, close behind. Once the pairs had disappeared from sight, Michael shuffled awkwardly beside Ron. 

When the ginger turned to watch the lanky Ravenclaw, he noticed him lifting his elbow hesitantly in the direction of the Gryffindor.

Looking absolutely appalled in a brand new shade of red, Ron sputtered an indigent "No!" and hastily disappeared into the crowd.

Michael, though also red with embarrassment, smiled a small, mischievous smirk.

Just then, the grand doors at the top of the decedent staircase shook with the force it took to open them. To say Michael was confused would be an understatement - the ball had started thirty minutes ago. 

His questions dissolved into awe and jealousy however, when the door swung fully open to reveal the silhouette of couple still cloaked in shadow.

The entire room fell silent as the pair stepped forward. The darkness melted off their figures like spring snow, revealing regally poised Draco and an elegant Jordan. 

The Serpent King and his Queen had arrived.

 

 

Word Count: 2447 


	13. Serpent Queen

In the silent hall, their footsteps echoed enormously, and was only drowned out by the throbbing of Jordan's heartbeat. 

The steady pounding in her ears, matched by her shallow breaths, threatened to freeze Jordan in her place as Draco led her to the peak of the staircase overlooking the ballroom. For a hysterical moment, she thought the drum of her panicked heartbeat was so loud, it drowned out the chatter from the hall below her. The frightened cadence quickened when she realized there was no conversation. Everyone was focused on them.

Her elegant partner beside her used their linked arms to gently tugged her forward, and she suddenly felt vulnerable, as her open collarbone and chest were accented by the contrast of her fair skin against the dark velvet of the gown. The movement rustled her grand skirts, which outstretched a foot from her waist in every direction. The fountain of deep emerald green fabrics nearly swallowed Draco's lower half. Despite this, the blonde boy moved with ease as he guided her down the staircase. 

Jordan's high heels clicked on the quiet flooring of the steps, echoing out into the silent hall as surrounding students began to part like the red sea to make way for royalty. Jordan could feel her cheeks turn a shade of red at the attention. 

Trying her best to distract herself from the curious scrutiny, she looked over to Draco at her side, who looked ravishing in a tux with complimenting colours to her own. His eyes were nearly level with her own considering she was given a boost by her shoes. He smiled proudly, not bothered by the prying eyes and creeping murmurs, a smile that Jordan found quite contagious.

To the others however, the boy's smile seemed foreign on his porcelain face, it looked almost alien to their eyes as he always wore a sneer or a nasty smirk around them. Willow was one of those left baffled by the expression. Seeing how different both Jordan and Draco were now was almost unbelievable; like switching personalities with Jordan sneering pureblood purest comments, and Malfoy actually smiling. Willow turned away from the lavish couple, an uneasy feeling growing and fury roiling in her stomach. 

Breaking her from her thoughts, Willow turned to Toby, who still had his disbelieving eyes on the stunning pair. "C'mon," she said, voice low as she tugged at his hand. "Let's go find Michael and the rest."

Toby turned, and noticed the fresh rising anger playing out on her features. "Of course." he murmured back. 

Within moments, Willow had found Harry and Tessa. The couple was given a wide berth on the dancefloor as Harry fumbled his way through the waltzing pattern. While other party-goers were anxious to avoid having their feet stepped on, Tessa seemed to be managing as she patiently helped Harry with his footwork. When asked about it later, Tessa had mentioned flippantly the permanent loss of feeling in her toes, mainly due to Fawn. She never did elaborate further. 

It didn't take long for Fawn herself and her date to find the dancing pair, and upon reaching the them, she was slightly shocked to find Willow and Toby standing off to the side.

"Willow? Were you not going to dance with Toby?" 

Willow did not give an answer right away, and she thought for a moment. "I guess we haven't gotten around to it." She smiled up at Tobias and with a familiar glint in his eyes, she knew she would get her dance.

The Veelan girl then giggled as she slipped in between Harry and Tessa, grabbing a hold of the girl's hand and waist as she continued the waltz that Harry had started with her. 

Harry stuttered briefly at the abrupt interruption, but seeing as the girls enjoyed themselves so much, he was brought to smile. 

The girls happily laughed together as they goofily finished the dance before curtsying to one another. 

"Come on," Tessa spoke out as she turned to the rest of the group, "We should go find Michael and Ron, I'm sure they have had enough of awkwardly standing on the sidelines." She snickered slightly at the image of Michael and Ron standing together, too awkward to dance, but too awkward to strike conversation. 

Sticking together, the group sought out the boys, although Michael was the one that found them for once, seeing as the group made a bit of a spectacle. Upon seeing them, he was quick to launch into an uncharacteristically excited commentary on the Yule ball.

Only half listening to the Ravenclaw's thoughtless babble, Willow noticed prying swamp coloured eyes peeking from behind Michael. Alexa. When she noticed Willow looking at her with a raised brow, she jumped in fright and scampered away. Willow chuckled to herself because she resembled a small dog running away with its tail between it's legs.

"What are you looking at?" Toby asked her.

"Alexa just ran away, I caught her spying on Michael."

"Again?"

"Again." Distracted, she watched Jordan sit down at a table. She looked stunning, and for a moment, she wanted to gloat about her, brag about her even. 

That was her best friend, and she looked better than anyone here. The only people who could rival her beauty were her two female friends who stood in handcrafted gowns beside her. Willow suddenly found herself locking eyes with the gorgeously glowing Slytherin queen, such an intense moment of intertwined gazes that both girls could feel their stomachs twist into knots.

Although the moment was lost as Jordan's eye's drifted downward, scanning the fairy's dress in a speculation of judgement. Jordan rolled her eyes when she saw what Will was wearing, and looking almost as if a smirk of petty amusement grew on her lips, Jordan scoffed as she turned away.

Willow's heart dropped, slowly sinking into her stomach before she was pulled back up by the soft hand grasped in hers. Warmth filled her heart as she shedded the feeling of loss.

>>> • <<<

Jordan was left alone in a secluded corner of the ballroom when Blaise had asked Draco to speak for a moment out in the hall. Her head was still spinning from her time in the limelight, but finally given time alone to watch as an outsider seemed to be slowing the whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. 

Jordan's eyes wandered over to where her old friends stood together, and the spinning carousel picked up momentum again. Part of her regretted not spending more time with them when she had the chance. She should have been laughing more, pulling pranks on people with Willow, sassing people with Tessa, teasing Fawn, being thoroughly disgusted at Toby and Willow, or listening to Michael ramble on about astronomy. 

But when it came down to it, Jordan knew she could never go back, even if she wanted to. If what Draco said about the Dark Lord rising is true, then at the end of this all she didn't even know if anyone she cared about would still be alive. Especially if they didn't side with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. 

Jordan was shook from her thoughts by Draco coming up to her with a drink in each hand and a small smile on his face. "I got us drinks while I was away."

She barely had time to take her drink before the blonde asked smoothly, "Would you care to dance with me?" 

Jordan nodded as she rose to her feet, although she tripped over the hem of her dress fumbling forward. To her relief, Draco caught her, chuckling. "Are you alright?"

Her fair cheeks flushed as she nodded. "I'm just not overly experienced in that art of dress wearing." 

He gave a soft laugh, "Well it's a good thing you have me here." His eyes shone brilliantly as his hand reached up towards her face, but he stopped as his eyes caught the necklace she was wearing. The light in his eyes darkened into an unreadable glint as he fingered his family heirloom around her neck. The emerald gem pendant winked in Draco's palm like the flash in the blonde's eyes. 

With his bright eyes and the weighted necklace, Jordan felt as fragile and transparent as a looking glass. She feared that one fanged strike would send her crumbling to pieces, leaving only mirrored shards and sharp edges. How could she put herself back together? How could she even begin to without the help of those who knew her, really knew her? How could she without her mixed band of old, true friends?

Draco let the pendant fall back onto her then and gently took hold of her hand, quelling the revolting storm inside of her as she suddenly felt at peace in the reach of his arms. With his hand wrapped softly around her hers, he led her out into the dance floor.

Jordan placed her free hand on the Slytherin boy's shoulder as he pulled her close and they adjusted into the proper waltz positioning. Draco led her in an easy and graceful dance as the music played peacefully to the beat of their synchronized movements.

He picked her up and spun her in time with everyone else and then placed her down and pulled her flush to him. Jordan blushed and looked up at him.

"What did Blaise want to talk to you about?" she asked softly, before he took her hand and spun her.

"Nothing really." He responded with an innocent and disarming smile.

She looked down in oppose to answering. 

Feeling as though she was still not completely trusted by Draco, she began to miss who she had been with her other friends as old memories flooded her mind. She was trying and it seemed to be getting easier, but nevertheless she couldn't help but feel like she will always a little different from the rest of them. Draco however, didn't seem to mind one bit. 

"You seem bothered." Draco observed.

She bit her lip and looked up at him. "I'm not... It's just, after tonight, there is no going back to my old friends; my ties are cut. I just want to know that I am trusted by you. You're all I have." She swallowed her pride to say. 

"I trust you with my life," Draco said without even looking the red haired girl in the eye, "and Jordan, you don't have to worry about them when you have me. You won't even miss them." He whispered just in time for the song to end.

Jo's heart felt as though it was being crushed by the weight of his words. Just like a snake suffocates its prey, Jordan's heart didn't stand a chance. She slipped out of his grasp and made her way over to their seats without another word.

She sat down, taking a generous sip her pumpkin punch, one in which she nearly choked on when she felt a pair of cold, rough hands sliding gently onto her shoulders. She already knew the Serpent boy who was attached to them, although a small part of her hoped in the possibility that it was Michael.

"Are you alright?" Draco said as he let go of her shoulders to sit down next to her. "You left quite quickly after the dance." He examined her carefully for a moment before reaching up to her fair cheek, "You look a little pale, are not not feeling well?"

"I'm just feeling a little queasy. It must be the punch," She lied. "I think I might go get some air." 

Jordan then picked up her dress, and sneaked out of the entrance without a trace. 

Meanwhile, Toby had asked Willow to dance with him, he romantically took a hold of her hand and lead her out to the dance floor. They glided around in a simple waltz gracefully, aside from a few bumps and stumbles as Toby's clumsiness got the best of him. 

The Hufflepuff boy was doing his best to make sure Willow had a good night, for her to forget her worries about her heritage, and keep her from being consumed by the thought of Jordan being with the serpents. 

Thanks to him, she did. The more time she spent in his arms, the less she dwelled on the worries of her past. 

The dance ended and the two curtsied and bowed. He swiftly swooped into grab her hand and kissed it softly. Toby leaned into Willows ear and whispered, "You smell really good, like candy." He said smiling as she chuckled, he leaned back and looked into her eyes. "Like, if you were edible, I'd eat you." 

Although he had been trying to compliment how nice she smelt, he ended up sounding more like a creepy cannibal than anything. Willow burst out laughing.

"Well, technically I am, but that's not exactly considered socially acceptable." She admitted between giggles.

Toby's face reddened making Willow laugh even harder, she tried to bring air in. Toby's added laughing only encouraged Willow more until the hysterical couple got a few odd looks from the other students. 

"What has gotten into us?" Willow asked once she got a chance to breathe.

"It must be something in the punch." Toby joked.

"Oh! Speaking of which, I'm feeling a bit peckish. I might as well grab some more of that giggle juice too." She chuckled.

"I'll join you." Toby added with his arm out ready to link with hers, an offer in which she happily took up.

The two broke off as they reached the food table, Toby to Ron and Harry and Willow to the mountain of food. 

Toby poured himself another cup of punch with a goofy smile on his face, thinking about the time he shared with Willow. Harry seemed to notice.

"You're pretty lucky to have her you know." Harry said with a smile. 

"I sure am." He agreed.

"When did you guys become friends?" 

"Second year. She helped me out with herbology-" He said as he watched her eat every chocolaty dessert she could get her hands on. "-And I helped her out with History of Magic." 

"I think she eats as much as me." Ron commented. "How?" 

"I have no idea, she's pretty active, but even considering that it's surprising." He shook his head with a grin. He then turned to catch his date munching on a chocolate covered truffle, he chuckled to himself. 

Seeing the boy from the corner of her eye, she turned to smile back at him but Hermione caught her just in time to wipe a smudge of the rich chocolate that had came off onto her cheek. Willow then looked to Toby and gave him a cheeky smile as he snickered from across the way.

Meanwhile, Terry stood looking ravishing with his curly brown hair perfectly placed and his bright beautiful blue eyes accented by his matching tux. Fawn admired the handsome boy with a small smile. 

"You look beautiful tonight." Terry told her, stealing her thunder as she was about to compliment him.

She ginned back at him brightly, "You don't look so bad yourself." 

He rolled his eyes playfully. 

"Thank you." She corrected. 

"That's more like it." Terry laughed as he reached up to her face, tucking a loose piece of her behind her ear before following its trail all the way down to the ends where he began to spin it between his fingers. 

His heart fluttered as if it had wings inside his chest, looking into her eyes made him feel like all was right with the world; he felt like nothing could hurt him. 

His mind wandered as he marveled at the gown she wore. It was smooth, satin fabric in a pale pink colour. The body piece hugged her figure tightly, while as the sleeves fell loosely off her shoulders with nothing but little string bows holding together the break in the fabric down her arms. The skirt of the dress flowed down to the floor in perfect harmony and elegance, complimenting her long legs. And with Fawn's special added touch, an enchantment made the fabric on her body, as well as her hair, float, as if she was drifting in water. 

The two wore mirrored smiles, intertwined in the presence of each other as they stood, oblivious to the demanding world around them. 

Although the two of them had a change in mood once a song began to play, it made Fawn's heart skip a beat, "This is the song my mother used to sing to me when I was a child." She told Terry. 

The music brought back a flood of memories of her mother; her heart sank, feeling as though it was tied to anchor within her chest. Like the fog of the night settles on the sea, Fawn's vision was suddenly taken over by a heavy gloom. 

Although she quickly managed to shake the feeling from the forefront of her mind, for she was not about to allow sorrow get the best of her evening.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Terry said as he bowed with his arm outstretched to her, "May I have this dance?" 

Fawn gladly accepted, pushing down the slight feeling of sorrow that had been settling in her lungs as she gleefully took his hand. 

Terry intertwined his fingers with hers before gently squeezing her hand. The two fit together like puzzle pieces, just as their eyes linked like a chain that no curse could break. The pair joyfully waltzed around the ball floor with ease, they glided with class and elegance.

Fawn whirled around the large dancefloor, her lithe body almost being chased by her partner instead of being led. With a grace possessed only by those of Veelan nature, her feet led her surely and without a single stumble, despite her eyes being closed. Swayed by the pull of the music, Fawn began to hum the dulcet melody. Her nimble form and sweet song was so entrancing, other couples faltered in their simple dance as she spun by; boys were captured in the snare of her beauty. 

In the silence at the end of the song, Fawn came to her senses. Her eyes shot open and were greeted by many glazed irises staring back at her. Couples around her had stopped waltzing to watch the siren's dance. 

Fawn stared in horror at the blank stares around her, and a ringing warnings emerged from a old memory, faded and worn in the deep trench that was her childhood.

"Careful Fawn," A wispy woman with pale, perfect skin stroked the face of a young blonde girl. "You shouldn't sing around others dear, it does strange things to a weak mind." 

Fawn felt the memory snap into place, a puzzle piece of shocked understanding. Though her knees were weak, she gripped onto the last of her strength as she turned and fled the hall.

 

 

Word Count: 3149


	14. Night of the Second Task

Within the weeks after the Yule ball, the second challenge had lurked menacingly, only to pounce on the unprepared champions. With it being the night before the second challenge, Harry nervously paced back and forth in the halls of the library, mumbling to himself about who-knows-what. Hermione and Ron had done all they could think of to calm his nerves, but nothing they did seemed to reach him.

 

Harry had heard the horror stories of how a student drowned in a previous year because of the kraken, and he was less than enthused to be facing the dark waters tomorrow. He already had enough to deal with considering Voldemort and all his loyal followers, the Death-eaters, were coming after him and everyone he cares for. He did not need the extra threat of dying in a ruthless tournament of glory to add to that. 

Hermione suggested that they go to the Library to look for something that could assist him in the challenge and hopefully give the poor wizard enough peace of mind to sleep that night. With that in mind, Ron, Toby and Willow aided Hermione in her quest for such a thing.

"Ron and I will look for potions and spells in this section. Toby and Willow, you look for artifacts and history on the Black Lake over there. Harry, you stay right there, we are going to figure this out." 

The four gave their nods of understanding to Hermione before splitting up to tackle their assigned task. 

Pulling out a large dusty old book from the shelf, Toby turned to Willow, "Wait, why are we helping Harry when he is Oak's competition? I thought you were rooting for your brother?" Toby asked before taking a deep breath to blow off the collected layer of dust on the book to reveal its title, 'Unusual Facts About the Black Lake'. 

"Because, Toby," Willow started. "Harry is our friend and we don't want him to drown down there now do we? Besides, Oak claims to have it all figured it out already, but won't say." 

"Fair enough." Toby concluded.

'His pride would never allow me to help him anyways' She kept to herself. 

Oak had never been one to ask for help, he had the stubborn mindset that he would have to do it himself or not do it at all. 

Willow still could picture her brother vividly in her mind the time when he almost got himself killed when they were kids; he had broken his leg doing some crazy stunt and because of his pride, he didn't tell anyone so that he wouldn't be taken to the St. Mungo's. His leg then later gave out on their home staircase, leaving him with a concussion and six stitches across his forehead; he still has the scar to this day.

Willow shook her head at the memory. 

Toby tore through the traumatic memory to say, "Did you know there's mermaids in the black lake, Will?" She whipped her head around to face him.

"There are?" She asked surprised. Granny Fern used to tell her stories about how Fairies and Mermaids would get into all kinds of trouble together back in her time. "Wow, I'll have to go down and say hi sometime." 

He smiled, with slight alarm. "They're not as friendly here as you'd think."

They stood in silence as they continued to search, a question burning at the back of Toby's mind. A question he wasn't sure he'd ever be brave enough to ask. 

'I should just say it,' he thought to himself. 'Yes, come on Toby, you can do it.' He opened his mouth to speak but the words that came out were not the ones he expected, "Hey, do you think--Uh--do you think there would be anything that could help us in herbology?" 

Willow thought, she racked her brain for anything that might help, anytype of seaweed or plant or reef that would give Harry any kind of advantage underwater. Or anything to keep him from dying for that matter. She knew there was something, she just needed to find it. 

"I should ask Neville." She sighed. She hated the thought of having to ask her biggest herbology competition over the past four years for help. She sat down and leaned against the bookshelf, Toby came and sat beside her.

Her mind wandered as they sat there, hip to hip in the comfortable quiet secluded section in which they stayed. "I wish," Willow began to whisper, "I wish I could relive the Yule Ball. It was such an amazing night." She said as she gazed into Toby's kind, green eyes. She remembered the decorations, the lights, the gowns and suits, the food, but most importantly: the dance she shared with Toby. 

Her heart skipped a happy beat at the memory. 

"It truly was. I had an amazing time with you." Willow smiled shyly up at him. Toby took up the opportunity to ask the question he couldn't stop thinking about. He took a deep breath, "Speaking of which," He said, he grasped her hand in his. "I was wondering..." he trailed off but Willow encouraged him to continue, "You make me the happiest guy in the world, Will. And I just, I would just love it if you would agree to be my girlfriend." 

Willow's white teeth shone through her pale lips as she became overwhelmed with the same feeling of bliss that she felt that night at the Yule Ball. 

"Yeah, I'd like that." She said. Toby let out a sigh of relief as his smile grew on his face. 

"Come on, we should keep looking." 

Meanwhile Hermione searched the large book in her hands, 'Offensive Charms and Jinxes.' The book was useless.

"Anything?" Ron called to her from down the aisle.

"No! There isn't a single useful book in this entire library!" Hermione whisper-shouted back, frustrated. 

"Well what about Toby and Willow? Would they have found anything?" Ron asked hopeful. 

"Don't you think that if they found something, they would come tell us? They're probably busy with other things anyways. Who knows what those two love birds do in their free time."

Ron chuckled. 

"Come on, think!" Willow told herself, "There must be some kind of plant that can at least lengthen a person's lung capacity, it sounds quite familiar in fact. But what would it be?" 

"This looks like a job for Neville Longbottom." Toby teased. 

Willow paced, frustrated with her apparent short-term-memory-loss condition. She knew there was a plant, perfect for the occasion and it was on the tip of her tongue she just couldn't figure it out. She refused to resort to getting help from Neville.

"Why don't we just go look at the section for herbology books." He said calmly. 

"Good idea," she agreed as she began to walk off. However, another thought flooded her mind making her stop in her tracks to call out to the Hufflepuff boy who trailed behind her. 

"Hey Toby? I just wanted to say thanks for being so supportive about this whole thing. I've been really stressed out lately, watching the people I care about risk their lives for a silly Goblet, and with this whole situation with Jordan, it's been really hard for me. So, thank you." She finished shyly.

He walked toward her and grabbed her hand, his warm skin comforting her as he spoke. "Of course. I'll always be here for you." 

Willow had only just become aware of how close they stood, with nothing but their gripped hands and thin air between them, she suddenly became weak. She could feel the light warmth of Toby's breath on her cheek as they watched each other's eyes in awe. She felt as though she was being drawn into the boy's enthralling green eyes like a lost fairy drawn to a meadow; and in that moment, she felt at peace.

His gaze shifted slightly, he began to focus on what she realized to be her lips, and with a spark of impulse, Willow gently cupped his jaw, pulling the boy down to meet her lips. 

With a small movement of her lips on his, she could feel him lean in closer as his hands slid to the small of her back. He smelt of soap and peppermint and tasted like the best thing she had ever brought to her lips. She fell in love with the moment, never wanting to let it go until an abrupt crashing sound tore their lips apart. 

They peaked around the corner to find the source of the interruption, this being none other than Neville Longbottom, surrounded up to his knees in fallen books. He grumbled. 

"Smooth, Neville. Smooth." Willow complimented jokingly as she advanced over to help her herbology nemesis.

Toby, feeling as though his lips were giving away his secret, stood off in the distance, unsure of what else to do. On one hand he still felt as though he was floating, but on the other, he was embarrassed by the change in atmosphere, wishing that he would have had a chance to gaze into her eyes one last time before the abrupt interruption. 

Willow held onto her secret carefully behind pink cheeks as she assisted the Gryffindor klutz clean up his mess. She too felt light as a feather, drifting in the air, still imagining the feeling of Toby's soft lips. 

Just then, Hermione, followed by Ron and a sluggish, trudging Harry, popped around the corner.

"There you guys are! Moody wants to see you and Ron, Willow."

The Gryffindor trio led the pair off to a table covered with open books they had collected, each one messily sprawled out across the space. Professor Moody stood over the mess, peering at it all through his glass.

"Come with me you two." He ordered gruffly, his false eye swiveling to look at the students.

Willow looked back at Toby once, who nodded encouragingly, and then hesitantly walked off with the Professor, leaving the rest of her crew to continue their quest. 

>>> • <<<

As the night was drawing to an end, each of the members of the 'search party' left one by one for their dormitories for the night with nothing to show for their efforts. Even with the help of Neville, the five young wizards couldn't manage to find what they needed. Harry had given up hope.

Feeling as though he had already lost, Harry decided that instead of heading back to the Gryffindor tower, he would take a small detour. He knew he wasn't going to be getting any sleep anyways. 

His footsteps echoed in the empty hallways, or was it his heart beat? He couldn't tell the difference.

Harry followed the light of his lumos spell, wandering aimlessly as he knew not where he was headed until out of the pitch black silence, came the thundering sound of footsteps. 

Despite Harry being in his fourth year, he clearly still hadn't learnt to follow the expectations of being cozy in his corridor by curfew. The scrawny wizard quickly covered up his glowing wand with his sweater, careful not to give away his identity by speaking to put out the light. He then ducked behind the decorative sill of large stone window, holding his breath as the hogwarts teacher passed.

With Harry's eyes not yet being completely adjusted, he figured the coast was clear as the sound of footsteps were no longer echoing around him.

Although his judgment did not serve him well as a deep, strong voice called out his name. Harry whipped around to find himself face to face with not a teacher, but a long and messy haired student.

"Oak?" 

Not more than three feet in front of him stood, a nearly blinded, Oak Brodigan dressed in a messily put together Slytherin uniform.

"I'm so glad it's just you!" Harry confessed, "I thought you were one of the professors." 

"And I knew it was you from a mile away, you're not very discreet you know." Oak's lip curled up in a gentle and charming smirk. 

Harry's cheeks turned pink as he shifted her feet, feeling embarrassed as he wasn't getting any better at sneaking around. 

"What are you doing out at this time anyways?" Willow's brother asked, his eyebrows rising in curiosity. 

"I was just, just walking back from the library." He lied, "I was on my way back to my dorm."

"You're not fooling anyone with that, but I'll let you have it." Oak snickered, letting the boy off the hook as he dropped the interrogation act.

Harry gave a nervous smile before suddenly coming to the realization that he was not the only one out after hours, "Wait, what are you doing out?" Harry said, turning the tables around, "The dungeons is on the other end of the castle."

Oak's expression resembled a deer caught in headlights as his cheeks flushed, he rubbed his neck and managed to play it off without a sweat. 

"I was just talking to Professor Snape about what I can do for extra credit, I've fallen pretty behind in my classes since the tournament started, you must understand." 

Harry's eyebrows twisted up in disbelief, it seemed as though both of them ended up being more transparent than they initially wanted. The younger wizard scanned Oak up and down, noticing that his messily done up uniform with undone buttons and wrinkled, ruffled clothing. Harry found it strange that he would be meeting with a professor like that, but let his curiosity go, just as Oak had done for him. 

"Yeah I understand," Harry continued. "I can't seem to focus on exams with the tournament always sitting at the back of my mind."

"You make it sound like a burden." Oak observed. "You should have known what you were signing up for when you put your name in the Goblet of Fire."

Harry practically glared up at him, "I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire."

"Well who else would? You must admit, it is pretty suspicious."

"It wasn't me..." Harry insisted with a sigh. "This whole tournament is really taking a toll on me." He said as he slumped down onto the stone ledge of the window. 

Harry looked up to Oak with a small tint of humor in his features, "I think I might stay in the lake tomorrow, maybe I'd be better off living with the kraken." 

The two gave a quiet chuckle as Oak came and took a seat beside him, Harry soon dropped his smile and mindlessly stared out into the Quad paved courtyard just outside. Oak watched him intently, unsuccessfully trying to read his blank look. 

"What's bothering you?" Oak finally asked, whispered and thoughtful.

The boy simply shrugged.

"C'mon." Oak encouraged, "You're secrets are safe with me." He quipped. Although Harry's silent response brought Oak to rethink his approach.

"I'm sorry Harry, I'm not trying to get you to spill all the latest gossip to me or anything like that. You don't have to tell me a thing. You just," he breathed, grappling with his words. "You just look like you need to talk to someone. They can really help you know; the people that are willing to listen."

Harry mindlessly nodded to the sound of his voice, partially zoned out as he began consumed by his inner thoughts.

A deafening silence consumed the two as they did nothing but stare into the blackness of the night; such a silence that could drive a person mad. Even the patterns of their breath and the blinks of their eyes were swallowed up by the hollow night. Yet, Oak stayed there with him, hoping that it would mean something to him, hoping that it would help him.

Everything felt empty, the sky, the air around them, the suffocating silence, the words not yet spoken, even the intention lingering in Oak's thoughts. Everything simply felt as though it were a blank page just waiting to be filled. 

"I never asked for this." Harry spoke, slicing through the quiet air, "I never asked to have my name put into the Goblet of Fire, and now I have to risk, not just my life, but possibly other people's lives for something I don't even want!" 

"Not one for the eternal glory?" 

"Not exactly." His voice was bitter, his thoughts choked with memories of Ron's jealousy, the 'Potter Stinks' badges, and a generally dislike from nearly everyone at Hogwarts. 

"I wish you saw it my way." Oak whispered so quietly, he wasn't sure if Harry had even heard.

Oak thought back to the last challenge, that day he had been overcome with something he had never experienced before. The young fairy descendant could feel the power rushing through his veins like a blazing fire, the air he took in was replaced by a buzzing adrenaline. Feeling like it was a drug, Oak sensed the energy, the intensity, the strength build up inside of him as the crowd cheered his name and admired his talents and skills. 

He couldn't quite understand why such a thing would make Harry so miserable; he wished he could share a fraction of his pride and glory with the boy.

"I just fear someone else getting hurt at my expense. What if I can't protect them? I don't think I live with myself if that ever let that happen."

Oak thought for a moment, processing Harry's worries before he spoke, "You know Harry, I think I know what you mean. You see," He whispered almost shamefully in the darkness of the corridor. "I've been keeping a secret from the people that I love."

Harry's curiosity spiked, although he kept his thoughts to himself as he listened. 

"Now, obviously it's not threatening anyone's life so it's not quite as crucial as your dilemma, but, I understand what it's like to have people counting on you, to not want to let them down." The boy understood. He ran a shaky hand through his ruffled hair as he took a steadying breath.

Brodigan continued, His final confession rushed out as he exhaled, "And that's why I keep my secret, because I don't think I could live with myself if I ended up hurting someone because of it."

The two boys sat an understanding silence, before Harry broke the weight of their troubles in the air. "I just don't want to drown." He half-humored. 

Oak seemed surprised, turning his head sharply. "You never figured out the golden egg?"

"No, I did. I just couldn't find anything that could keep me alive underwater for an hour."

Oak gave a grin, "How about I let you in on a little secret?" 

Harry ruffled his eyebrows in disbelief. "You would help me? But I'm your competition." 

Oak simply shrugged, "I need the challenge." He said, unsuccessfully hiding his bright smile behind a prideful smirk.

Harry chuckled back at him. 

"Now, it's a little late for you to learn the charm I'm using, but, I overheard Professor Snape talking to Mad-eye Moody about a herb that would be the 'perfect advantage for the challenge' as he said."

"A herb?" Harry puzzled, "Is it like a Tibetan turnip or something?"

"Well I don't know about a turnip," Oak laughed, "but there is a type of seaweed."

Harry leaned in, curiosity lacing his breath.

Oak paused to scan the empty space around them, making sure that there were no prying ears listening in. Even with the castle plunged in the darkness of the early morning, the champion wasn't about to risk the knowledge leaving this corridor. Oak brought his voice to a low whisper as he spilled the name, "Gillyweed." 

 

 

Word Count: 3278


	15. Black Lake

It was a clouded and gloomy morning that followed, the chilly air blowing gusts of wind throughout the hallways every so often. Despite this, a comforting warmth filled the chests of every student who eagerly awaited the Second Task that was to take place on this day. 

To Draco, it had felt like an eternity since the first challenge. He above everybody couldn't wait to watch the Potter boy fail, although he kept his morbid fantasies to himself as he intertwined his fingers with the small red-headed girl that walked beside him. 

The two made their way from the Great Hall after breakfast, but not without passing by an identical duo of orange hair and squabbling nonsense. The Weasley twins stood on a bench as they called out to the small crowd gathered around them.

"Come one, come all! Bet your galleons on the champion you think will win today's challenge!" They said in perfect synchronization. 

"Pathetic." Jordan whispered to Draco with an eye roll, "Truly sad how that is the only way a Weasley can manage to make enough money for clothes; through betting."

Draco laughed coldly in full agreement. "Almost makes me pity them. Almost." He whispered back.

The two snickered indiscreetly as they passed, but in continuing through the hallway, the two locked contact with a wide-eyed Michael Klukovich. The tall, lanky boy's gaze drifted down to their linked hands, only making his stunned expression more definite. 

Draco sneered at the boy before tightening his grip on Jordan and steering her down a different hallway, away from Michael. Whether it was an act of protection or an act of jealousy, she wasn't quite sure, but what she was sure of was the way her heart seemed to squeeze painfully when she had met eyes with the tall brown haired boy.

The sudden action made Jordan wonder if the Slytherin boy had true feelings for her, or if he was only trying to keep her from returning back to her old friends before completing her duty as a death eater; whatever that was to be. 

They walked down the path towards the dock, where students were boarding the small wooden boats. Jordan followed Draco onto a boat where Blaise and Pansy were sitting. When the boat began moving on it's own, Jordan looked behind her to see if Willow was on the dock. She knew that even if she saw her, Willow wouldn't want to talk to her not after the horribly offensive comments she made about Willow's heritage. Jordan clenched her jaw, and much to her surprise easily put WIllow out of her mind. Draco, seeing her detached gaze, reached out and grabbed her hand gently, putting it between them as to keep discreet about it. 

>>> • <<<

The fresh floating structures swayed slightly on the dark, frigid water of the Black Lake, students and teachers alike flowed between the different levels in a rush to find a good view. Tessa and Fawn found seats near the front on the new constructed bleachers while waiting for the others to arrive, and it didn't take long for Toby, Michael, and Hermione to find the pair. 

¨Hey Toby, where's Willow?" Tessa asked the blonde boy as he sat down on the row below her.

"I thought she was with you guys?" He turned, face twisted in confusion. 

Fawn shuffled in her concern, her brow furrowed. "We haven't seen her all day." 

"Yeah, I haven't seen Ron all morning either." Hermione added. "Do you think that they were just late and couldn't catch a boat?"

Tessa scanned the crowd. "Late to the second task? Dios Mio, Ron is daft, pero él no es tan estúpido."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of Dumbledore clearing his throat, and the crowd fell silent. Hermione and Tessa whipped their heads toward the sound, and Fawn sputtered indignantly underneath the pair's wild curls. She managed to clear her face of the untamable locks in time to hear Dumbledore shout "Begin!"

The canon went off and the champions took off. Oak quickly cast his spell, the magic rolling through him until his body became part shark. He dove in the icy water and wasted no time in making his way through the throngs of swaying kelp. Fleur and Cedric followed soon after, but Harry was left on the structure, choking on the strange seaweed. 

The boy started spasming before he fell ungracefully into the water. A wave of whispers swept through the crowd, which was broken by a sharp yelp from Neville, exclaiming that he had killed Harry Potter. For a moment the spectors all held their breath, until there was brilliant eruption from the water as Harry flipped from the black waves with his new fins and gills. Cheers rose from the floating structures, drowning out the grumbles of complaints from critics.

The wizards and witches alike sat waiting for something to happen. When sparks were sent flying into the sky out of the water, Tessa and Hermione both visible tensed in panic, until a thrashing Fleur broke the surface. The two witches relaxed, but Fawn found herself with a frown painted on her features. She had secretly hoped that the Veelan descendant would succeed. 

The blonde girl was silently supporting all of the champions. Harry because he was her friend, Oak because he was Willow's brother, Cedric because they were in the same house, and Fleur because she was like her. No matter how self-centered the Veelan was, Fleur was like family - whether Fawn wanted her to be or not.

Meanwhile in the depths of the Black Lake, Harry fought his way through the swaying stalks of the kelp forest. The shadows around him darted and flashed, and the silent calm of the deep water woven with dread made the scene surreal. He notices the shadows are not shades at all, but vicious mermaids with razor teeth. 

When one darts past him and hisses, he jolts, stirring the underwater greenery. The warning does not stop him however from following the creature, until he reach a courtyard of sorts. 

In the center, tethered to the bottom with seaweed rope, were four gracefully floating figures. Harry's eyes widened when he saw both Ron and Willow, as well as Cho Chang and a small silver-blonde girl he had no name for. Between the drifting tendrils of pale hair, he saw that the young girl had features similar to Fleur. Her sister, Harry thought.

He hurriedly swam his way to Ron, who did not respond to the webbed hands on his face. Harry didn't have time to worry much further if his friend was alright, as then Cedric swam his way into the courtyard, blasting the plant tendril that held Cho. The Hufflepuff victor saw Harry, and tapped on the watch strapped around his wrist. After seeing the other victor nod, Cedric shot to the surface with his prize. 

Following Cedric in suit, Harry pulled out his wand to free Ron. The brilliant blast lit the water, and her turned to do the same to Willow''s restraints. Within seconds, he was face to face with a snarling mermaid that held a sharpened trident to his throat. 

"But she's my friend too!" Harry burbled in protest. The mermaid simply pressed the weapon more firmly to his skin. "Only one..." it hissed. 

The creature retreated, and something shot past him, and cut through the plant wrapped around Willow's foot. Harry's eyes widened when he saw a what appeared to be a champion half morphed into a Great White Shark, with and glint of metal pierced above the shark head's right eye. Oak.

The champion quickly swam off with his sister in tow, leaving Harry alone in the watery clearing. Even the mermaids had left, and the boy was quick to take advantage of that. Whipping his wand around, his fired a blast out of his wand at the tendril attached to Fleur's sister. 

Taking the arm of the younger girl and his best friend, Harry tugged them towards the edge of the clearing. Without looking back, the trio disappeared into the dark waters of the kelp forest.

On the surface, Willow shivered violently as she waited for the final champion to emerge with his valued friend. Beside her, Oak pulled himself up onto the dock with a hint of frustration in his eyes, although Willow ignored it as she was overwhelmingly glad that he had even managed to survive let alone save her and come in second. 

"You did great, Oak." Willow said, smiling up at her brother.

He half-heartedly smiled back through tightlips, avoiding looking her in the eyes as he said with a shrug, "Could have done better, not too proud of it honestly. But, I guess there's always room for improvement." he finished as he haphazardly wrapping a towel around himself. Oak replaced his furrowed frown with a smirk as he patted Willow's back, trying to warm her lithe body. 

Willow could sense the disappointment he held for himself, "I'm proud of you." she whispered back at him through chattering teeth, hoping she could fuel his sense of accomplishment. Although her attention was suddenly stolen as she whipped around when three witches ran up to the pair: Tessa, Fawn, and Hermione.

"Willow!" Tessa, her smile wide, hugged her friend despite the cold water dripping from the blonde. Fawn followed beside her and was quick to shoot her a warm smile before her gaze slid distractedly over the other victors. She watched the clump of blue Beautbaxton girls hover over their fallen comrade, Fleur. 

Hermione on the other hand was very attentive to the wet blonde fae. "What was Dumbledore thinking, having the third task in the Black Lake in the middle of winter nonetheless!" She pulled her wand out of her robes - baffling Tessa, who could never find hers if she put it there - and waved it at Willow. Within moments, the dripping blonde was warm and dry. "Thanks!" Willow beamed at Hermione, while Oak whined about not getting the same treatment. Hermione didn't get the chance however, as a commotion had started out in the open waters.

Harry had broken through the glossy black waves, choking on the dark water he was surrounded by. Being the last of the champions to return, he emerged with not one, but two victims that were held captive by the mermaids. 

The crowd clapped and cheered as the four tense witches on the floating structure let out a sigh of relief. Hermione pushed through the crowd to help Harry and Ron onto the structure, and then with a wave of her wand leave both the boys dry. Tessa and Fawn were close behind the brainy witch, cheerfully congratulating Harry on his success. 

Higher up on the docks, Jordan stood on the outside of a rowdy conversation between the group of Slytherins. She had been watching the crowd of victors and supporters below, when she caught a loud complaint made by Draco. 

"And Potter wins again! He deserves to come in last with how late he finished, but still everyone runs to congratulate him." He scowls, not bothering to hide his annoyance. Jordan nods in agreement, but cannot convince herself to fully join the conversation. 

She found herself on the outside lately, dead to her old friends but unable to connect with the new. With one last glance at the crowd swarming the shivering trio, she fingers the green jewel pendant around her throat as she shuffles closer to Draco, determined to commit to this new part in her life. 

Once Harry, Ron and Fleur's sister were all brought to the safety of the dock, Dumbledore placed his wand to his throat and began to announce the placings. He awarded first place to Cedric being the first to complete the task. Oak, who should have been in second because of his time, was bumped down into third as Harry acquired his position in second considering he brought up an extra victim. Leaving Fleur undeniable in fourth as she failed to fully complete the task. 

Oak stiffened beside an occupied Willow when he heard his rank, and a low fire started smoldering in his stomach. Everyone around him was being warmed by all of the cheering for the champions, and student and teachers alike swarmed Harry. 

Shoving past the older champion still rooted in place, Toby and Michael rushed down to make sure their friends were alright. In their hurry however, they didn't see the storm brewing on Oak's face, nor did they see how he turned to leave the bustling crowd. 

Willow watched her brother as he walked off with his jaw clenched; she knew that wasn't a good sign. 

"Third place is nothing to be ashamed of Oak! You did amazing." Willow encouraged as she hurried to keep up alongside him, but was answered with nothing but a bitter scoff. 

"Potter wouldn't even be alive if it weren't for me. Yet here he is, stealing my victory!" 

Willow was slightly taken aback; her brother was always competitive but never like this. "Oak! How could you say that?" She grabbed his arm and swung herself in front of his raging tracks, stopping the boy short.

"Not to mention that Cedrick went by without a scratch; his father probably rigged the game." The boy muttered, the smoldering rage burning steadily in his veins. "I deserved first place." The statement was quiet, but laced with red-hot wrought iron. 

Willow stood in horror as she watched a spark of hatred and something darker flare up in his eyes, but he turned away before Willow could see further into his thoughts.

This isn't Oak. But she had no name for what she saw in his eyes then, and when she laid in her empty dorm that night, she had no name still. 

 

 

 

Word Count: 2308


	16. Exam Week

Final exams were quickly rolling around the corner and everyone was cramming for time to juggle their mounds of homework, studying, social lives and enough sleep. The stress was pilling like books on a shelf as Willow sat in the library after school with her face in the page. Toby and the golden trio accompanied her, each of them silent as they were consumed by their inner thoughts and the spiraling words on the paper in front of them.

 

The air was dense with stress and tension, despite the comfortable silence; no one was comfortable with the weight of exams on their shoulders. Even Hermione began to doubt her capabilities as she held multiple books up in front of her with a simple spell, she jotted down notes with a scroll and quill, not looking up from her work for a moment.

Ron couldn't seem to pay much attention to his studies, he kept finding himself looking at Hermione, watching her as she memorized the words intently with the books spinning around her head. 

Harry, being his usual self, studied as much as he could handle, but had to frequently take breaks to walk around. The stress of the Tournament piled on top of the stress of exams until he began to feel like a squashed bug beneath it all. 

Willow on the other hand, couldn't help but feel irritated by Toby's invasive affection while she was trying to focus. With his hand practically forced into hers, she couldn't even keep her book open properly. She tried to pull away but Toby only squeezed her tighter, smiling back at her with pure bliss in his eyes. Willow grumbled under her breath as the boy leaned in and kissed her shoulder.

Not only was he invading her space and distracting her from her studies, but he was being completely inappropriate and making her feel uncomfortable as prying eyes around them watched the public display of affection. 

Toby felt that he needed to study nothing more than what he already knew, so all that left him to do was watch Willow work and snuggle up against her. With the sudden force of his head rubbing up against her shoulder, Willow was nearly caused her to fall over onto a jar of ink. She'd had enough. 

Willow abruptly jumped out of her chair to stand to her feet, as this gave her the advantage of height. With her hands in fists she fought to keep herself from raising her voice in the silence of the library, although she struggled to succeed as her voice broke and cracked.

"Toby, just because you aren't studying doesn't mean I'm not trying to! I'm already stressed enough as it is and you are not helping one bit. So can you please, go sit somewhere else for now?!" She snapped at him.

All Toby could manage was to stare back at her blankly in an eerie stillness.

"You know what?" Hermione whispered uncomfortably, "I should go get some extra notes from Professor Mcgonagall, wanna come, Ron?"

His ginger hair flew about as he nodded aggressively. 

"I think I'll join you." Harry added, hurriedly gathering parchment and ink-dripping quills.

The three Gryffindor students up and left as fast as they could gather their stuff, scurrying away without looking back. They thought it'd be best to leave the two to discuss their problems with out their prying ears. 

Once Willow and Toby were left alone, both frozen in their stances, Willow started up once again, "All I want is for you is to respect my space and read the signs. Can't you tell that I'm done with you invading my personal space?"

Where Toby had once looked lost and speechless, he now brought his features into a tense look that Willow didn't quite recognize. "How could you say that?" His voice laced with a delicate anger, "I didn't have to come here, but I came for you! Everything I do, I do it for you!"

"I never asked for your incorrect judgement on deciding what I need from you!" She defended.

"If you didn't want me here you should have just said so!"

"Well I'm sorry for not knowing how to tell my clingy boyfriend that I didn't want him here!"

All Toby could do was search Willow's eyes for truth; he couldn't manage to grasp that she had truly meant what she was saying. Although all he found in her gaze was a blank stare.

"You're right." He finally said, almost sounding forced as he sighed in defeat and shook the anger that had been rising in his lungs. "I'm sorry Will. I shouldn't have assumed that's what you wanted. I was just hoping..." He trailed off, sighing as his chest felt heavy as he spoke, "You always manage to calm my nerves, even on my worst days. I was wrong to think I could do the same for you."

Toby then picked up his things before walking out of the library with his eyebrows in a frustrated furrow, leaving Willow to stand alone and push down the rising guilt. 

Her heart throbbed in painful pulses, she so badly wanted to chase after him, but she knew he would be better off if he had some space after her angry outburst. Part of her feared that she had uncovered a part of her that couldn't be forgotten by the boy she had grown to care so much for; a part of her that couldn't be forgiven.

Willow tried her best to get back to her study work, but no matter how hard she tried, her mind always wandered back to Toby, their argument echoing in her mind over and over and over.

>>> • <<<

The Slytherin common room was empty aside from the red headed girl who's long, tangly hair spread across the lap of a certain icy blue eyed boy. The two held textbooks in their hands as they read the words in silence, apart from the few questions the girl asked him about the History of Magic.

Jordan found herself reading the same sentence over multiple times yet still not having the faintest clue as to what she was studying. Her mind was distracted, occupied by things other than books and tests. She couldn't seem to hear the words she read as she thought about Willow, how the girl she had once shared every secret with was now the person who despised her the most.

Jordan knew that the person she had been faking to be, was the only person Willow could currently see. Although if she was honest with herself, Jordan wasn't sure she was faking the person she had become anymore.

Jordan knew she could no longer be trusted by her old friend as she had broken that trust a long time ago, back when Jordan and her had gotten into the first of their fights. The look in Willow's eyes said it all; Jordan could never be forgiven. 

Not that Jordan wanted to be forgiven of course, she had come too far to simply throw it all away now. Although, part of her still found solace the person she used to be, in the support she used to have from the people who once loved her. 

The Slytherin girl reached up to her neck, feeling for the pendant that hung from her collar. She grasped it lightly in her hand, gently playing with it as she watched it glisten in the light. It always seemed to glow brighter green when she held it, almost as if the jewel knew of its enchanting power of serenity to her storming soul.

This was her comfort now; this was her solace. 

With the new and empowering peace, Jordan could finally return to her studies, although she was soon left unknowing.

"Why did the Goblins rebel again?" she asked with a grumble, frustrated by the fact that she couldn't seem to remember what purpose they had for starting such a wretched war. 

"They rebelled because they were being discriminated against; they wanted the same rights to use wands as wizards had. The Goblins fought for their right to use wands considering that they were magic wielding creatures just like wizards."

"And what are the years of the main rebellions?" She asked as she held the open book behind her head as if she would drop it, and to be perfectly frank, she considered whipping it into the blazing fire in front of her. Jordan hated history of magic and was just about ready to give up.

Draco couldn't help the chuckle that left his lungs at her reaction to the homework. "There was one in 1612 which took place around Hogsmeade Village..."

She cut him off, "Nope! Nevermind, I don't care. I'm done studying." She slammed her book shut, dropped it to the ground and huffed as sat up with her arms crossed. 

Draco did the same, closing his book and placing it on the ground before leaning back into the couch with his eyes on her. 

Her frustration slowly began to fade as she caught eyes with the prying eyes of the Slytherin boy. Her tense features dropped to relax as she felt herself leaning in closer to the enchanting, enthralling atmosphere that seemed to surround him. 

For a moment she felt as though she couldn't control her body as her lips fell further and further forward towards the boy, but she quickly snapped out of it when she watched his eyes flicker to her lips. 

Jordan suddenly became aware of how close she had leaned into him, it was too late to pretend like she wasn't about to kiss him, so with a flash of impulse, she stuck out her tongue and licked the tip of Draco's nose. 

The boy flinched in surprise before scrunching his nose up in disgust while letting out a short breathed laugh that almost sounded forced. "Did you just lick me?" 

Jordan's features reddened with embarrassment, but let out a small laugh.

"That was disgusting." He said rolling his eyes as he wiped his wet nose onto her shoulder. And although he seemed unimpressed, Jordan thought she saw a hint a smile that he fought to hide. 

Jordan smiled brightly at the thought, her eyes still locked onto his. 

"You're going to pay for that." Draco threatened teasingly before he abruptly drilled his fingers into her sides. 

Jordan let out a shriek, laughing hysterically as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp. 

Blaise, who had walked into the scene, had his mouth hanging open as Draco's lack of fury in his actions left the tall Italian boy speechless. Draco would sooner slash his own throat than be so easy to give into giggles and play fighting; it left Blaise to ponder the possibility of Draco harboring feelings for the fiery haired girl, although his initial thought was that Draco was simply using her. Blaise assumed that Draco put on an act for the girl so that she would be obligated to stay at his side. 

Blaise settled on the thought that Jordan was simply a pawn in Draco's game of chess, there is no way he could possess feelings for a girl like her. He smirked maliciously at the thought. "You two know the dorms are like 10 yards away, if you're planning to snog, you should head there. Nobody wants to see that."

Jordan turned over to him and mimicked his sly expression in an unflattering matter. "You're just jealous that your not getting any snogging." She retorted, "Maybe we will go to my dorm it's empty and my dorm mate won't be back anytime soon." she smirked maliciously.

Blaise's lip curled upwards, "Is that an offer Jordan? Because I'd be more than happy to accompany you." he winked, but his response was mainly to see Draco's reaction.

Draco's grip tightened on the girl and glared at Blaise. "That was not, and never will be an offer for you Blaise. Stop hitting on her." he said his voice dangerously low and his tone warning.

Jordan rolled backwards onto the carpeted floor with a light hearted chuckle for the tension in the air as she said, "Anything is better than studying right now." 

"Don't you get any ideas!" Draco warned to Jordan first, but then moved the blame to Blaise as well.

Blaise shrugged, seeming to lose interest in the conversation as he turned on his heel and headed out. 

Draco's eyes narrowed as he watched the boy leave the room.

>>> • <<<

Willow couldn't handle sitting in the suffocating silence of her own guilt so she packed her things with robotic movements. She knew she needed to talk to someone and subconsciously her mind snapped to Jordan. She just angrily shook her head of that thought, not willing to go down that thought rabbit hole.

'Maybe I'll talk to Fawn,' she thought to herself, 'She'll understand, I'm sure she's had to deal with having fights with Terry before.'

With her heart set on Fawn, Willow marched through the crowded hallways in search for her. She could feel the stress piling up within her, causing her mind to spin which only stacked more and more worries and doubts on her shoulders. 

She worried that Toby might detest to the idea of spreading their private argument around their friends. She worried that Fawn might not have any advice for her. She worried that she wouldn't be able to be completely honest about her feelings. She worried that people would listen in, but most of all she worried that Toby wouldn't even want to see her.

Willow wasn't even sure what she wanted to talk with Fawn about, or if she even wanted to talk at all. Willow knew she could more than well handle the situation on her own, yet something drew her to confide on a soul that would understand the situation, and she could think of no one more fitting than Fawn.

Willow wandered and wandered like a lost fairy in a new forest as all the familiar corridors and hallways seemed to look completely foreign to her. Although by pure luck, she managed to stumble across the honey blonde haired girl standing in the chilly, open courtyard. 

The snow had just started to melt no more than a couple weeks ago, leaving behind nothing but dark damp grass in its place. Out there she stood in the middle of the square with a bright grin and her hands clasped in another's.

The lilac eyed girl watched from a careful distance as Fawn spun gracefully in the arms of a wide smiling Terry. The two danced playfully together in perfect harmony. With no music, no ball gowns, and no grand hall, the tall brown eyed boy twirled Fawn around as excitedly as the night of the Yule Ball. 

Despite the beauty and purity of the pairs fresh blooming romance, Willow felt her heart sink as she knew she couldn't interrupt such a beautiful scene. She felt helpless in the passing moment of weakness before she heard the sound of a comforting voice from behind her.

"Willow," Oak spoke, "what are you doing out here?"

Suddenly all her consuming tension and restlessness within herself began to dissolve as she rushed into the comforting arms of her brother.

Although slightly confused, Oak embraced her in a strong and safe hug. In pulling away, Willow caught the eyes of a strange blue eyed Ravenclaw boy she failed to recognize.

Doing a quick scan, Willow came to the conclusion that the clean kept, raven haired boy would be quite cute if she wasn't so distracted by her spinning thoughts about Toby. He was taller than her, yet still quite a bit shorter than Oak, and his build was thin but strong looking while as his eyes and lips curled in way that Willow thought to look pretty. 

The boy smiled at her with a straight white smile, "I'll leave you two. Catch up with you later, Oak." The boy said before lightly grazing Oak arm as he headed off. 

"See you later, Miles." Oak called back to him with a charming smile.

Once the two siblings were left alone in the empty hallway, Oak looked to the small girl with worried painted in his eyes, "Talk to me." He pleaded, "What's wrong?"

Willow couldn't keep her eyes off the ground as she shrugged a lie. Although her and her brother were close, she couldn't help but feel self conscious bringing up her personal love life with him. 

"C'mon sis. You must know by now I can tell when you're lying." he crouched down slightly to meet her hanging eyes, "You know how I know? You always look at your feet instead of me."

Oak smiled gently in a sense that seemed to calm her raging soul, taking a breath, Willow spilled, "I yelled at Toby." 

Oak let out the breath he was holding before she continued in a speedy babble of a stumbling sentence, "I've been feeling very overwhelmed with exams coming up and Toby wouldn't even give me space to study! Then when I finally snapped at him, he told me that he was only trying to help me feel less stressed!" She huffed a piece of hair out of her face with a pout.

"Sounds like he had good intentions, what's the big issue?" Oak puzzled.

"The issue is that he was only doing that because apparently that's what I do for him! Except, he didn't make me feel any more relieved causing me to yell at him, and now I feel guilty for it." 

"Oh, Will. You have no reason to feel guilty. Everyone expresses their feelings in different ways, just because his portrayal of that doesn't match yours doesn't mean that you don't have feelings for him."

Willow sighed in acknowledgment, although she still felt wrong for her feeling the way she did. "But I feel like he doesn't know that. What should I do Oak? I don't know how to apologize to him, nothing like this has ever happened before."

"Listen Will," Oak said with a comforting hand of his sister's shoulder, "If Toby truly cares for you, he will understand. And he will forgive you without a second thought. As long as you are genuine and honest with him, things will work out. I promise."

Willow felt at peace for moment in hearing Oak's wise words, but it was suddenly ripped away from her when a thought rushed to her mind, "What if he now thinks that I don't feel that same way about him that he feels about me?"

"Well do you feel the same way about him?" Oak questioned, although he already knew the answer.

"Yes! Of course."

"Then you have nothing to worry about."

Willow twisted her eyebrows up in a slight confusion.

"You are a thoughtful and loving girl, Willow." Oak added, "and since you honestly feel this way, he will know. You just need to show him that you care for him, but do it in a way that is meaningful to you because his love language clearly doesn't speak to you." oak finished with a tease.

Willow's face light up slightly, her heart filling with hope for an idea to make it up to the boy, "You're right Oak, I think I know just the thing."

Oak smiled down to her, "There you go my little fairy. No need to get all worked up." He wrapped his arms around her once again, "I'll always be here for you."

"I know you will." Her voice muffled by the cloak she had her face buried into. Oak then leaned down and kissed the blonde girl's forehead, although he detected a small sense of unsettlement still wrestling within his little sister's mind.

"Thank you, Oak." She whispered tentatively. 

"Is there something else bothering you?" Oak asked, latching onto the tinge of restlessness hovering in her voice.

Willow confessed, "Well, I don't exactly know, I guess I just feel unsettled about Jordan, but I almost always feel like that. Ever since she left at least."

The boy understood. "You miss her don't you?" he said in more of a statement than a question.

"More than anything." She sighed, "We were once so close. But now I've lost my best friend to a boy that doesn't even care for her." Her brother looked to her with compassion, he felt sad for his sister's loss. "And now, it's like I don't even recognize her! I'd sooner believe that she's being brainwashed than her truly just not caring for us anymore, it's just, so hard to grasp that she could really be that cruel."

"Do you have any idea why she's doing this?"

"I don't know, it took a toll on me at first and I'm still reeling from losing her. My mind still goes to her, I just wish I knew why this was happening, I would at least feel more closure then." Willow sighed, wistful and melancholy. "I feel like it's somehow my fault," She continued, "like if I had just tried harder to be there for her, maybe this wouldn't have happened. It all started to go down hill the day she got the damn letter from her parents." She said and looked at her brother. She hadn't realized her eyes were lined with tears until her brother wiped away a stray droplet that had escaped.

She hugged him and buried her face in his chest. Oak stroked her platinum hair and sighed. "Why don't you talk to her and tell her your not looking to be friends but you just want closure." He offered. 

Willow heard what he said but was too lost in her thoughts to respond. Instead they let the hall fill with the comforting babble of students in between classes, caught in their own problems. It was almost nice to catch the snippets of a stranger's troubles, seemingly so much easier than her own. 

Finally Willow spoke. "Maybe this was just how it was meant to be, like Jordan was never meant to be my friend for long. She always had such a purest family, and Draco..." She trails off with a sigh, but her voice then hardeneds with acceptance. 

Her strange coloured eyes become steely. "I never wanted Jordan to leave, but I'm beginning to think I never had a choice."

 

 

 

Word Count: 3738


	17. Passing Notes

"Sounds to me like she just needs a little time to simmer down. She'll apologize when she's ready." Michael advised to Toby as they took their seats in Professor Snape's Double Potions class.

"You're probably right. I just woke up feeling so bad; I shouldn't have done that." 

"Don't feel bad." Fawn chimed in as she pulled out her text book, "You were just doing what you thought was right. And quite frankly, if it's any consolation, I think it was."

Fawn began to wondered why she was hearing about the couple's disagreement from Toby and not Willow. Part of her had hoped that Willow would have come to her, that the friends were closer than that. 

"Morning Class." Severus Snape announced in his usual disdain, dragged out speech. "As you all should be aware, today we are continuing our research for the 12 inch parchment essay that will be due by the end of exams next week. Keep silent, or there will be consequences." With that, the professor sat down behind his desk as the class all dove into their textbooks. 

After a few grumbles and complaints about having Potions first thing in the morning and on till lunch, Fawn and the two boys began on their research. The three were hard at work when all of a sudden, the large wooden doors behind them opened up to reveal a pair of Slytherin students that they knew all too well. 

"Good day Professor Snape, I apologize for the rude interruption but I'm afraid it's urgent." Draco announced in an unnerving pride; his sibilant voice hanging in the air. Jordan walked steady at his side with the same grim look painted on her fragile facial features; it looked unnatural on her. 

With a low grumble, the Professor gave into the Slytherins' persistence. He then shouted regrettably, "Talk amongst yourselves." With his voice still lingering in the air, he swiftly pulled the two visitors behind his desk as they began to discuss their private matters. 

The class of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students quickly took advantage of the rare chance they were given to talk in Potions class, leaving Toby and Fawn to strain to listen to the secretive conversation taking place at the front of the class. 

Michael however, found himself uninterested by the topic of conversation while his eyes rested peacefully on the girl he used to know.

He watched her in awe of her beauty. Her long, tangly hair rested on her shoulders and toppled down her back in tight red curls. Her figure dressed in flattering Slytherin attire while on her feet she wore heeled boots, giving her height as she was never very tall. 

He became victim to the movement of her lips forming words as she whispered and the pattern of her moving hands as they fiddled with the jewelry on her neck. 

Although Michael was suddenly snapped out of his daze when he caught a glimpse of what looked like a glare of green light. 

"Did you see that!?" Michael asked the two sitting beside him in alarm.

"See what?" Fawn puzzled.

"Jordan's necklace!" He brought his voice down to a whisper, "It's glowing."

"You mean the heirloom Draco gave her? Don't be ridiculous, Michael." Fawn asserted.

"I think you just need to clean your glasses." Toby added in a joking matter. 

"No really, look! It's glowing an unnatural shade of green; can't you see it?"

Toby's face showed his confusion as he glanced over to the girl, "So? The sun kinda does that to shiny things."

"Toby, we're in the dungeons, there's no sunlight down here." Michael pointed out, "And the torches don't give off enough light to make that effect."

"What are you saying?" Fawn questioned.

"Don't you see what's going on here!? Her necklace is enchanted!" 

>>> • <<<

"I have received some very important information from my parents, it couldn't wait." Jordan whispered cautiously as she pulled a folded note out from her pocket; Professor Snape and Draco leaned in almost uncomfortably close.

Our Dear Daughter, 

We have reason to believe that there is a powerful student that threatens the rising of the Dark lord. Harry Potter is of no threat as Voldemort himself wishes to discard of the boy, but there is another: a girl in which we can not name over such untrustworthy circumstances. However you, Jordan, know of this girl because of her unusual and dangerous family history. If you wish to prove your loyalty, you must take action immediately. You know what must be done. 

Sincerely, your parents.

Professor Snape's eyes widened to an unnatural size as he finished the letter. 

"It is not safe to talk about this here." Snape brought his voice down to as low of a whisper as he could manage. "Now listen to me very carefully, you will walk out of here like nothing has happened, and you will meet me in the my study after class." 

The two nodded in affirmation before heading out, but not without a cold glare from Draco to Jordan's old friends. He made an ugly face, directed at Fawn before chuckling to himself. A face in which she could only assume was an attempt to imitate what she would look like in harpy form; she looked down at her hands. Jordan herself gave a look of distaste as she walked by before the two disappeared out of sight without another word. 

Once class had finished, Fawn, Toby and Michael were consumed by silence as they still couldn't manage to wrap their heads around all their unanswered questions. 

'What was so urgent that Jordan and Draco would have to interrupt a class? What was written on the note that she pulled out of her pocket? Was Jordan's necklace really enchanted? Enchanted for what?'

In the mess of scurrying students along with the mess in Toby's mind, he was caused to be unaware of the white blonde girl heading towards him until he accidently bumped into her, who was also blind to the collision that could have been seen and avoided from paces away. 

The two locked eyes, both unaware of what to say or how to act as their quarrel had still not been resolved.

Willow quickly shook her eyes away from his as she called out the remainder of the group, "I'm going to have to skip out on lunch today, lots of studying to do." She smoothly brushed past them without another glance. Although once she was past the group and hidden in the safety of the stairs, her lips cracked a smile - a mark of her success in slipping a note into the boy's pocket.

Toby watched as the elegant little fairy girl walk away and out of sight, he turned back the the ground in front of him with a sigh. 

Fawn put a hand on his arm, "Don't get discouraged just yet, I'm willing to bet she's just waiting for the right time." She said kindly with a wink. Michael showed his agreement with a firm pat on Toby's shoulder. "Chin up, Toby." He added.

Toby nodded half-heartedly as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, although he ruffled his features up in a slight confusion as he felt a piece of parchment crumple under his hand. Out of curiosity, Toby pulled it out and unfolded it. He instantly recognized the familiar swirly letters scattered across the paper. 

Sorry for freaking out at you, but I want to make it up to you. I'll be in Hogsmeade at Madam Puddifoot's Tea for lunch today. Meet me there if you're up for an apology.

Toby's lips showed a small smile in reading the note before stuffing it back into his pocket, he felt himself slowly filling with a new feeling of serenity in the comfort of a healing wound. Excited for a little mischief Willow was going to drag him into yet again. 

The Hufflepuff boy managed to slip away from the group without any interrogation or added suspicions, giving him his freedom to cautiously make his way to Hogsmeade. 

The streets and alleys in the little village were free of the students that crowded the shops on weekends, and very few townsfolk had any business with the stores at this time. Beside the occasional crow or stray cat, Toby was left alone with only the unusually dark storefronts. Why would Willow bring me here?

His breath was visible in a cloud of vapour in front of him as he slowed down at the approach of the quaint little tea spot. Toby waited outside the entrance for a moment, simply staring at the closed wooden door standing between him, and the conflict he had to face. 

He felt nervous, unsettled by what awaited for him inside the cafe. With a whole night to ponder on the previous argument, his nerves only grew as his frustration for the girl's unappreciative manner and lack of communication with him. Toby wanted only for her to appreciate his efforts to make her comfortable and happy; yet all he received was rejection and Toby felt embarrassed by it.

Part of that embarrassment followed him as he stood in front of the tea shop, and Toby hesitated as he reached his hand out towards the handle. The boy managed to push back his nervousness along with his shame to be able to turn the door handle, and face the unresolved tension and unsettlement between the two. 

Unlike the turmoil inside him, the warmth from the shop filled his lungs as he entered. The empty shop was all quiet whimsy with it's vintage wallpaper matched by delicate chairs, and maroon lace tablecloths set with burning candles. The smell of sweet tea surrounded him as he laid eyes on the quaint little Slytherin girl sitting at a perfectly set table for two. 

Willow gazed over at him, seeming almost embarrassed as she displayed a genuine smile through closed lips and pink cheeks. 

Toby slowly walked over to her, his stride hesitant yet enticed as he was pulled by his feet to stand at the table. He found himself holding his breath as Willow stood up to match his stance. With their gazes intertwined, the boy could think and worry of nothing else but the beautiful girl that stood in front of him. His wall of embarrassment, bitterness, frustration and feeling of hurt he had built up all came crumbling down to dust as he stood in her enchanting presence. 

As all his feelings of acrimony dissolved into nothing, small hints of tears filled the rims of his eyes as he pulled Willow up and into a tight and forgiving hug. They both let out the breath they were keeping as they held each other in the heart of the little tea shop. 

"I'm so sorry." Willow whispered up at him, "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I held in everything I was feeling instead of talking to you about it."

"I'm sorry too, I should have been more observant and listened to you. I understand how sometimes we just need a little time and space to ourselves and I should have given you that." 

Willow's heartfelt smile became impish as she gestured to the small table beside them. "You know, I didn't have both you and me sneak into Hogsmeade for nothing." 

Toby's eyes widened at the mischievous grin. "We are allowed to be in here, right?"

Willow's eyes gleamed and her smirk deepened, and she simply turned to sit at in the dainty chair rather than reply. Toby followed suit, but much more anxiously. 

His nerves settled however as the fae creature across from him gracefully poured a cup of aromatic tea, the steam gently rising from the cup in a cinnamon chai haze. Willow's smile was no longer mischievous when she smiled softly at him again, her eyes shining through dainty blonde lashes. Toby felt himself settle comfortably into her presence as he watched her pour herself a cup. 

The conversation between the blooming couple was quiet but eager as they made themselves at home in the abandoned shop. The conversation was only broken by clinks of sugar cubes stirred into the fine china cups, and nibbles of carefully iced cookies. There voices ebbed and flowed in the flickers of the candle light, and they drew closer to each other over the small table. 

Willow's phrase fell short when she realized how close Toby's soft features were to her own, and her breath caught in her throat. When Toby boldy reaches for her pale freckled cheeks, she flushes under his touch. Just as he leans in to connect their lips, the door of the shop bursts open and the candle flames die in the cold blast of air. 

The three figures of Fawn, Tessa and Michael tumble in, gasping and panting from the journey. Willow irritably sighs as she slumps back into her chair. "Seriously!? Can I not just have one afternoon alone with him? Is that too much to-"

"It's Jordan!" Fawn interrupts with a gasp. She pauses her panting to apologise remorsefully. "Sorry Willow, we thought this would be more important to you."

Tessa waves her hand in annoyance, still struggling to catch her breath. "Enough of that, we think Jo-"

Michael cut her off with a hard tone. "Jordan's been hexed."

 

 

 

Word Count: 2225


	18. Hexed

Fawn watched as Toby pulled a crumpled piece of parchment out of his pocket and read it with a hidden smile. Seeing hope cross his face for the first time all morning, Fawn put together the pieces - Willow had arranged something in order to apologize to Toby.

 

Fawn's lips showed a small smile in the realization as he stuffed the note back into his pocket before the Hufflepuff boy managed to slip away from the group without any further interrogation or added suspicions. Her and Michael were left in the swarming hallways created by the rush of lunch break with nothing for the two to do but wander off to the library; when Tessa found the pair, she instantly started up bubbly conversation which left the remaining two slightly unsettled as their troubles were pushed back. 

Michael remained unnervingly silent as he trailed behind the girls like a lifeless drone. Fawn's conversation was short and limited as her mind of swirling thoughts spun around her like a hurricane; the pair could not stop there minds from travelling back to that morning's Potions class. Tessa quickly caught onto the troubled atmosphere when Fawn failed to respond to one of her questions.

"Is there something wrong, you two?" Tessa asked in sort of demanding curiosity. 

"It's nothing really," Fawn assured her. "Just a little unsettling is all."

Tessa hopped in front and turned around in order to stand face to face with the honey blonde girl, the brown girl's eyebrows raised in inquiste. "What's unsettling?" 

"Jordan and Draco barged into our Potions class today for some 'urgent' business. I was just surprised that Professor Snape went along with it, he put the entire class on hold for them. It was very... unexpected." Fawn explained her confusion.

"I just can't stop thinking about that damn necklace." Michael chimed in. 

"What necklace?" Tessa puzzled, beginning to become annoyed as she seemed to have missed so much in one simple class.

Fawn sighed, "Michael has this crazy idea that the heirloom necklace Jo received from Draco is enchanted."

"Well?" Tessa pried, "Is it?"

"Clearly!-"

"-We don't know for sure." The two answered over each other. 

Tessa's lips pulled into a mischievous smile that Fawn knew too well. The blonde shook her head in response but before she could argue, Tessa interjected.

"I say we do a little snooping around."

>>> • <<<

It turned out there wasn't much of a 'we' in this sleuthing, as Fawn soon found herself lost in the tangle of students with her friends nowhere in sight. Tessa and Michael wasted no time in rushing off to find the serpents, but forgot about the Veelan.

Fawn sighed, but it came out as more of an vicious grumble as a pair of first years took a cautious step away from the aggravated girl with looks of terror on their faces. 

With little else she could do, Fawn called out their names as she began wandering in search for her long lost friends. 

She had begun to give up looking when an idea shot through her mind like a bullet: gone just as fast as it came as she forced out the injurious, immoral thought as she shook her head as if telling herself no. 

'But it would be so easy.' Fawn was pulled back to the thought, 'They would have to listen to my calls if it was in melody...' 

The voice was sly, and truthful, whispering her ear as if through a voice other than her own. She forced herself out of the siren trance however, remembering her mother. She held a high regard for her mother's warning and wasn't about to go back on her word now. She felt guilty for even considering it, despite it being for just a brief, fleeting moment.

Fawn gave into her defeat, heading back to the library seeing as studying would be a better use of her time than aimlessly wandering. 

The closer she grew the library, the slower the ebb of students flowed. As the blonde reached the staircases she stepped onto the steps of one leading onto the first floor. About halfway down the stairs however, Fawn was forced to grab the banister as the structure under her feet shifted violently to realign with another set of stairs that led to the third floor. 

Fawn wanted to scream in frustration. She couldn't find her friends, she couldn't use her foreign abilities, and now she couldn't even get to the library. Peeling her fingers from the banister she had death gripped, Fawn stomped up to the floor to find another way down. 

Her march through the now empty hallways slows however when she hears a heated discussion behind a tightly shut dark oak door. When the voices suddenly quiet to tight lipped whispers, Fawn is drawn to the sound of the stolen secrets. 

"Immediate action is crucial." Snape's voice is dimmed through the door, but Fawn recognizes it well enough. 

Malfoy's smooth voice snarls with a fiery frustration in reply. "We can't take any kind of action if we don't know who the traitor is!" His words breaking through the whisper and into full volume.

There is a short period of icy silence, and then a mumbled apology from the blond boy. Snape's cool drawl sounds, gone from chilled to downright frost-bitten. "If this student threatens the Dark Lord's rising enough to warrant death, then she must be identified. That task is your's, Jordan, as your parents explained."

"I'm willing to bet it's that Brodigan girl. She is a filthy half creature after all. Who knows what tricks she has up her sleeve." Fawn could imagine the sharp scowl on Draco's face, all deep frown lines and hateful eyes. 

Jordan's monotone whisper speaks out for the first time, speedily behind Draco's cold comment. "She isn't capable of that." Her voice in an icy tone Fawn didn't even recognize. "She never accepted her heritage, she's is too weak minded to plot against the Dark Lord." 

Fawn could have sworn she picked out the tone of faint panic in the redhead's voice as it seemed like she raced to get through her sentence.

"Well, who else could it be?" Draco's frustration hadn't calmed in the slightest. 

There was a ruffling of robes, and the Veelan girl could imagine it was Jordan moving to try calming the boy's eager rage. "Whoever it is, you don't have to worry about a thing." She paused before bringing her voice to an even lower whisper that sent needle-like shivers through Fawn's body, the words searing into her mind. "I will exterminate them personally. It is my obligation after all." 

Fawn claps a hand against her mouth, bitter bile rising in her throat as the whisper made her stomach curl in sickness. She stumbles back slightly, only to find silent tears flowing steadily down her cheeks. Shocked and severely shaken, she turns to slip away only to collide with Tessa. 

"Fawn! Where have you been? We couldn't find Jor-" 

Fawn cut her off with a violent hush as she pulled the dark, curly haired girl as well as a wide-eyed Michael down the confined corridor and around a corner. She gasps and stutters as she struggles to choke out the words. "I-it's Jordan... s-she's..."

Tessa pulls the Veelan into a concerned hug, and Fawn takes the moment to steady herself on the Colombian's shoulder. Taking a shaky breath, the blonde stepped back to explain herself.

"I just overheard them talking to Professor Snape in his Tapestry Corridor." Her voice still wobbles slightly and she fights for the stability to stand upright.

Tessa's eyes narrowed, and Michael leaned forward to ask softly, "What did they say, Fawn?" 

Fawn took a shaky breath, "They, they think that someone in the school is strong enough to kill the Dark Lord - a girl, not Harry." Fawn takes another deep breath before continuing hysterically, "Jordan offered to kill her!"

"What did I tell you!?" Michael exclaimed, "No student would ever murder in their right mind, especially not Jordan. She is hexed!"

"We have got to tell Willow and Toby." Tessa said firmly as she reached out to grip Fawn's shoulder. "Fawn? Are you alright? You're as pale as a full moon."

The Veelan's world spun. Her friend's didn't understand, they didn't hear the malice their voices carried when they had spoken. Jordan was more than just hexed, some part of her believed the things she said, believed them enough to kill. 

Disgust and horror rose so swiftly inside of Fawn that she struggled to contain the bitter bile, to contain the growing scream. She had to keep her feelings in check; she had to warn Willow and Toby. 

Moving stiffly, the blonde grabbed Tessa's hand. "They are in Hogsmeade. Willow wanted to apologize" 

The Colombian intertwined their fingers to give Fawn a comforting squeeze. "I'm sure Willow will want to hear this."

With a nod, Fawn lead the others through castle grounds and into the chilly streets of Hogsmeade. The cold air cleared her emotions enough so that she could find her rational thoughts again. With clarity Fawn swung open the door to the little tea shop, and the three burst in with an untimely interruption. 

Willow groaned, "Seriously!? Can I not just have one afternoon alone with him? Is that too much to-"

"It's Jordan!" Fawn interrupts with a gasp. She pauses her panting to apologize remorsefully. "Sorry Willow, we thought this would be more important to you."

Tessa waves her hand in annoyance, still struggling to catch her breath. "Enough of that, we think Jo-"

Michael cut her off with a hard tone. "Jordan's been hexed."

Toby and Willow jumped out of their seats. 

"How do you know?" The blonde whispered almost painfully.

Michael frowned. "It's because of the necklace, that damn necklace that Draco gave her. It's enchanted, I noticed it this morning when they came storming into our class."

Fawn choked up, remembering the harsh words of the serpents. Tessa spoke the Veelan's thoughts in order to answer Willow's burning question, "Jordan's going to murder a student, Will."

>>> • <<<

The sound of footsteps ricocheted off the high ceilings of the hallways as the five students nearly sprinted down the corridors. Willow was struggling to push her words between frantic breaths. "What are we even supposed to do? Jordan has no idea she's being controlled."

Tessa's sentence was nearly lost in the pounding of their feet. "We need to show her, convince her."

"She won't believe anything any of us have to say!" Michael raised his voice to be heard through the rushed air around them as they ran. "Not as long as she's under the influence of the heirloom."

"Well then we've got to take it off!" Tessa snapped back.

"Even if by some miracle we accomplish that, the chance of her still being affected by it are high. Who knows how deep Draco has his hooks." Michael exclaimed irritably. 

The group was swerving around a corner when Willow spotted Draco and Blaise talking ahead, steps casual as them meandered their way. She quickly skidded to a stop, and complaints rose behind her. "Go back, Go back!" She whispered harshly as she pushed her friends back around the corner. 

It was a chaotic shuffle of limbs and pained grunts, but eventually all of the witches and wizards were hidden from view. Fawn quickly hushed everyone as Willow peered around the corner. 

"You know, you really don't need the necklace anymore. You have her wrapped around your finger." Blaise's smug laugh can be heard echoing down the halls. "It's a miracle you even got her to leave you for this long."

Draco doesn't respond, but simply allows the sound of his strut to resonate.

Blasie hurries to fill the silence. "Why do you still have Jordan wear the necklace anyways? She is so charmed by you already." 

Draco's answer is frosty. "You know how it works, Blaise. The necklace doesn't do much, it just amplifies what she already feels and makes her more suggestible to things said to her by me." His tone melts into smugness. "I'm confident in my ability, but I like having the assurance." Willow can see even from the distance his lips twisting into a smirk at the final remark.

Tessa and Michael had to pull Willow and the rest back around the corner as Draco and Blaise passed by their not-so-discreet hiding spot, watching as the serpent pair disappeared down a flight of stairs which lead to the dungeons.

Once she was sure they were out of ear reach, Tessa burst out, "You heard him! As if we needed more proof!"

Toby wrinkled his nose, "We will if we want to tell the professors. They're not gonna take the word of a few fourth years."

Tessa nearly rolled her eyes. "There is no way we are going to the teachers, imbécil. Snape is loyal to the Dark Lord, who knows who else is."

Michael muttered under his breath. "To be fair, we all saw that coming."

Willow interrupted Tessa before she could reach out to smack the boy upside the head. "Our only option is to convince Jordan. We need to get the necklace, show her it's affects when the bloody thing isn't on her, damnit." 

"So take it."

Everyone spun to see Fawn, who was almost hunched on the outskirts of the heated discussion. The bold, harsh words were uncharacteristic for the soft-hearted Veelan, and every jolted when she repeated, "Take the necklace, Willow. You dorm with her, so steal it while she's sleeping and we can draw the hex out of it."

The blonde mistakes the shocked silence for uncertainty and doubt, so she pressed on. "Tessa hexes enough people that all of us are almost fluent in counter-hexes. It would be easy. We could fix this - or at the very least expose the hex to Jordan."

Willow speaks out. "I can do it." She calms her nerves and confidence flowed through her veins as she watched her friends nod in agreement. "For Jordan." 

 

 

Word Count: 2347


	19. The Necklace

The empty dorm was dark as Willow waited in the still silence, tucked under her blanket seeming cozy in her bed, although she was far from slumber. Her lilac eyes were trained on the door that was barely visible by the dim moonlight filtering through the windows. 

Jordan had been coming back to her dorm late ever since she cut ties with her old friends; this left Willow waiting in the dark for nearly longer than she could stand, her thoughts running rampant with steps of the intricate plan. 

With a harsh creak that shattered the silence, Willow quickly closed her eyes, pretending as if she were asleep as the door swung open, revealing two booted feet backlit by the torches in the hallway. Jordan did not notice the strange-coloured eyes that followed her every step, until the feet kicked off the shoes and disappeared into the bed that stood across the room for Willow's. 

Willow patiently waited until Jordan's breathing pattern had steadied to be rhythmic and heavy before quietly slipping out from under her covers and onto the chilled stone flooring. She slid and crawled over until she was face to face with the redhead girl who was deep in a slumber; Willow held her breath. 

The fairy had just began to wrap her finger around the necklace that hung from the girl's shoulders when Jordan suddenly tossed around in her sheets. Willow's heart roared against her ribs like a caged lion when Jordan groaned and spun over in her sleep. Willow held her breath as she waited for the sleeping girl to still while she ducked underneath the ledge of the bed frame to hide. 

Long moments of dead silence had passed before Willow decided it was safe to reach back out, her steady hands gripping around the warm, glistening silver chain. After unclipping the hook, she slowly and carefully pulled, although, it seemed to stick to the sleepy redhead's skin as if they had began to grow as one. 

Willow held up the necklace in victory as it came loose, watching the deep green emerald as it glowed with the light of the moon shining just outside the window. The weary fairy girl wondered how such a simple piece of pendant could do such horrible damage. 

She quickly shook the moment of hesitation before sneaking back out of the dorm hurriedly. Slipping through the empty, dark common room, she emerged out into the corridor to where Toby stood guard. 

The boy greeted her with a look of relief as he carefully took the necklace from her grasp and placed it into a small cloth bag.

"I'll get this to Michael so he can conjure up a replica, meet me back out here in 20." Toby whispered in a low and hushed tone. Willow nodded in response before turning back into the dorm room and into bed. Jordan would surely find suspicion if she woke up to find her roomate missing, as well as her necklace. 

Toby, being the most athletically inclined besides Willow, was the designated runner as he took off in a quiet sprint to the astronomy tower where Michael sat in the dark with his face in a book. The boy looked up through his glossy glasses and shaggy hair with a smoulder.

"Just in time, I've just mastered the replication spell." Michael whispered as he pointed out two identical books laying out in front of him. There were several objects behind him with what Toby could only assume to be the attempted replicas. 

Toby approved as he pulled out the glowing green necklace, placing it down next to another necklace made of cheap metals and a fake jem. 

With a wave of Michaels wand and the hushed words of a complicated spell, the cheap necklace changed from until it was identical to Jordan's. 

"Now," Michael explained quitely, "the effects will only last 12 hours, meaning that by mid afternoon tomorrow, this necklace with change back into its original form. We have got to tell Jordan before that happens." 

"It's like Cinderella!" Toby connected.

"I guess. Now quickly take this to Willow, and I'll bring the real one to Fawn and Tessa."

Toby nodded in understanding before taking off with the fake replication of the heirloom.

While Willow received the necklace and slipped it back onto Jordan's neck, Michael barged through the doors of the library where Fawn and Tessa sat at a dim table surrounded by open books. 

"Good! You made it." Tessa whisper-shouted in relief. She clutched the necklace carefully in her hands before saying, "I can't seem to find the hex Draco used for the pendant. It's a very rare, an unknown type of spell that I am not familiar with."

"And without the hex, there is no way to find the counter hex." Fawn added. 

"It's late and Jordan is already fixed up with replica anyways, we have time." Michael added, letting the 12 hour limit slip his mind. 

"He's right, I say we pick this up in the morning." Fawn said with a yawn. "Then we can confront Jordan once the hex is taken care of."

"I agree." Tessa added, rubbing sleepy eyes. "We've had enough mischief for one night."

>>> • <<<

When Tessa awoke in the comfort of her dorm room bed, one thought shot through her mind sending her into a state of panic. In quickly jumping out of the covers and reaching out to her bedside trunk, she loosened the lock with a spell to counter the one she had put on it the previous night. Scrummaging through the jumble of lose trinkets and gadgets, Tessa's hand tightened around a small cloth bag that was held closed by a simple ribbon. 

She let out a sigh of relief as she emptied it into her hand and found the shimmering emerald necklace, held together by a sterling snake and hanging from a shining silver chain.

Tessa clutched the necklace in her palm before carefully placing back into the bag, and into the pocket of her robe. Wasting no time, she hurried out of her dorm to meet with the others for breakfast; they were all already in the Great Hall at their respective tables.

Tessa ignored the stares as she defiantly sat between Fawn and Toby, who were both rubbing away sleep and giving gapping yawns. Tessa's harsh arrival awoke the two in a start - startling Toby so badly he spilt hot coco in his lap. Tessa simply ignored his yelps and grumbles as she asked Fawn quietly, "Will you come to the library with me? We need to find that hex before Jordan realizes something is up, because I'm sure she will - it's only a matter of time."

"You're right about that. And less time than you might think."

Michael had come up behind the two girls, and this time is was Fawn that jolted, knocking over a porcelain cup of Earl Grey. Her complaints were drowned out by Tessa demanding, "What do you mean Michael?"

He winced a bit under both of there fiery gazes, but replied steadily in a whisper. "The replication spell only lasts 12 hours. I told Toby, but I guess in my drowsiness, the message failed to reach you two."

The two girls swiveled to stare at Toby, who was in the midst of pouring himself another cup of steaming coffee. "Hey, don't look at me - I was tired too." He defended.

Fawn lets out a groan as her head falls in her hands. "We have classes all morning, we'll never be able to find the hex in time."

"Then we've got to tell her." Tessa stated quietly. 'It's the only way."

The group pondered the suggestion. 

"At least this way we have the real enchanted necklace as proof." Michael admitted. 

"But she's only been without the real necklace for about 6 hours, how do we know if the effects have worn off?" Toby questioned. 

"We don't." Michael quickly answered. 

Tessa rolled her eyes, "Comforting."

"Well, we would know for sure if someone had found the hex!" Michael whisper-shouted accusingly. 

"Maybe I would have been more motivated to find it if you had told me we only had twelve hours! Yet instead you said, 'it's fine, we have time', No we don't!" Tessa argued. 

"I'm sorry that four hours to daybreak is not my ideal brain functioning time!" 

"Oh don't fool yourself, your brain is never properly functioning!" Under her breath, Tessa continues the insult. "Soy amiga de un tonto."

Michael grumbled in annoyance. Where their conversation had once been kept at a whisper, it had now risen to full volume as Michael defended, "I shouldn't have to be in charge of everything! Meanwhile, Fawn was just sitting with you doing nothing! Who knows what you two were up to! You could have been giggling and braiding each other's hair for all I know!"

"Don't you talk about Fawn like that, she did plenty! Unlike Toby. He's the one that insisted on staying guard for his beloved girlfriend instead of actually helping anyone! If you're gonna accuse anyone, accuse him!"

"Don't bring me into this." 

"Well at least he didn't fail at the one task he took on."

"EVERYONE STOP!" Fawn screamed at all of them, causing Michael and Tessa to freeze in a startled silence, "Stop fighting. We won't accomplish anything like this." 

The group was left slightly taken aback by Fawn's uncharacteristic stance of control as she now simply continued on sipping her tea, leaving the rest of them to sit in a itchy quietness. 

Willow suddenly arrived at the untimely moment. "Morning everyone!" She said cheerily as she took a seat next to Toby before bringing her voice down to a whisper, "How'd it go last night?"

Michael let out a groan as he got up and left the table while Tessa shut her eyes as if fighting to keep the anger inside. Toby bit his lip when Fawn rose from the bench, her face hard as she spoke. "Toby, you can tell her."

>>> • <<<

Once Willow was informed on what had happened, and Michael and Tessa had finally cooled down, the group conjuered up a plan to confront Jordan at lunch. It was only a couple hours before the spell threatened to wear off; it was cutting it close but it was better than nothing. 

The five students split up as soon as classes for the morning where over, Michael and Willow went to find Jordan alone seeing as they were the ones she had trusted most, and they didn't want her to feel intimidated by bringing the whole gang. Tessa and Toby where given the task of separating Draco and Jordan without raising suspicions. They had to keep the Slytherin boy distracted until the other two were done talking with Jordan. That left Fawn to the books, continuing to look for the hex that caused this mess.

Leaving the Veelan at the library, the remaining four did not have to go far before they found Draco and Jordan. Michael and Willow stood pressed against a hidden wall as they watched Toby and Tessa step out to distract Draco. 

Willow took a deep breath, every bone in her body wished and hoped that this plan would work, that Jordan would believe them and things could go back to normal. Or, at least as normal as this group of friends could get. Yet, part of her still lingered on the arguments they have had, the cold glares and heavy words of disencouragement. 

She had to try at least, and with that in mind she pushed herself fasted to find Draco. Lately Jordan was always by his side, lounging in the comfortable coils of his charm and deceit. Willow had hope though, and all she and Michael had to do was pull her out the second Tessa and Toby led the snake away, then they'd have a chance.

There was a shout, and then a bright flash from around the corner where Willow was hiding. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Tessa with her wand raised, and Toby on the ground. Professors were quick to intervene as Tessa turned to slash her wand at Draco, prepared to cast a spell on the unarmed boy. 

Seriously? Her plan was to hex Toby? Willow thought before spurring into action, gesturing quickly to Michael. As he leapt out and tugged on the arm of a distracted Jordan, the fae girl muttered to herself. Tessa and her were going to have a serious discussion about what counted as a good distraction, and then maybe a lecture on friendly fire - especially towards her boyfriend. 

The redhead struggled as Michael forcefully led her in the opposite direction of the commotion. Jordan stopped dead in her tracks however when she recognized Michael's voice telling her to calm down. She turned to face them, putting a smug and disgusted look on her face. 

"What could you two possibly want?" She groaned as if she was bored already. 

"Jordan," Willow said calm and gently, "We have to talk to you."

She examined Willow before glancing over at Michael who wore the same look of worry. She sighed, crossing her arms in front of her, "Fine. But better make it quick because Draco is not going to be happy when he sees that I'm gone." 

Jordan grew bored as the two standing in front of her seemed to forget how to form words, so she began to walk back to the still chaotic scene of the hexing. Michael finally managed to speak, and stepped in front of her path. "Your necklace, how often do you wear it?"

Both girls looked confused. "I don't know? Most of the time."

Michael continued to question, "So you take it off when you sleep?"

"Nope. Is that all?" She rolled her eyes as she asked sarcastically before turning away to walk down the empty hall. In her irritation she didn't notice that she was walking away from where Draco waited for her. 

"What about when it doesn't match something you're wearing?" He questions, hurrying to catch up with her annoyed stride. 

"I was never one for coordinating colours."

"How about if it's uncomfortable?"

"Never is."

"Do you take it off when you bathe?" 

Jordan widened her eyes at the slightly shocking question, although it was once a perfectly normal topic between the two. 

"I'm not here to answer personal questions, Klukovich!" She snapped, although he continued to pry.

"If not then, when do you take off the necklace?" 

"This is about your jealousy isn't it?" She scoffed. "You just can't cope with the fact that I've moved onto another guy because you could never admit your feelings!"

Willow then chimed in, "No, Jordan. It's not. Please just listen." The eye contact between the former best friends, although mildly uncomfortable, brought Jordan to a closer state of cooperation as she remembered why she had once put so much trust into a single person.

If she could do it then, she could do it now, just for a moment. 

"Fine, Michael you win. I never take the necklace off." Jordan admitted. 

"Don't you find it a little weird that you've never found a need to take it off? That it hasn't left your body since you received it three months ago?"

Jordan furrowed her eyebrows, not finding it strange in the slightest as she reached to the pendant for comfort in the midst of the unsettling conversation. Although when she found none, her features creased into a distressed manner as she looked to it for it's usual glow. Yet that also didn't work, she brought her eyes up to the two walking in front of her, facing her cold glare as she hissed, "What did you do!?"

"Jordan, we have proof that the necklace Draco gave to you is hexed."

"Well of course it's hexed!" She snarled as she stalked towards the confused pair.

"Do you honestly think I wouldn't notice that my own necklace glows brighter than a highlighter!?" Jordan screamed at them, making each of their bones shake. "It was enchanted by his father for Mrs. Malfoy's when they were teenagers because she had anxiety, and Draco gave it to me for the same purpose if you must know!" Her steps brought her so close to Michael that he stumbled back, dragging Willow with him. 

"No, Jordan-"

"Shut it Brodigan, there is nothing you can say that will fix this." Jordan yanked the false pendant and chain off her neck and held it up in their faces screaming, "Where is my necklace!?" 

Without giving the pair time to answer, Jordan began to yell. "This was you!" She viciously accused Willow, her hissing voice echoing off the walls and into the fairy's mind over and over again. "You betrayed me!" 

Jordan pulled out her wand, directing it straight at the Willow's neck and pushing her backwards until she was flat against the dark oak doors of the Library entrance. 

The icy Slytherin girl suddenly remembered her parents warning of a girl with a strange heritage that was clever and cunning enough to plot against the Dark Lord. Despite her defending the half-blood and setting Draco and Professor Snape off her tail, she was now beginning to think it was a mistake as here the traitor stood in front of her now.

Suddenly she heard a soft voice call out that was forced to be heard, "Wait!" Fawn called, "It wasn't her idea. It was mine." 

Jordan glared at her through a dead, blank stare that said, 'how stupid do you think I am?' However, her features suddenly dropped to a state of horror when Fawn held up the real necklace. Jordan's large dark eyes peered into the Veelen's soul, giving the girl no source of peace, not even a blink to separate their gazes from the intensity. 

A switch clicked in Jordan's mind. Fawn, a female student with a strange heritage and family background, someone with the capacity to plot against the Dark Lord and challenge those who help him. She fit the description perfectly. 

Just when Fawn thought she might break down into tears from the intense glare, Jordan's features cracked into a smile so wide, yet it didn't reach her eyes. It sent painful shivers down the girl's spine as it was so foreign on her and unnervingly vile. Seeming almost as though the look was stolen from someone else's face and placed on hers, the look made Fawn feel sick to her stomach as she stood there unable to move, choking on her own fear. 

Fawn was so encaptured by her poison coloured eyes that she failed to notice the Slytherin's advance on her trembling form. Like pieces at a time like a scratched record, Fawn vision flickered until she found herself face to face with the fiery haired girl.

All Fawn could see was that eerie smile, and the venom in her eyes. All she could feel was the cold touch of a hand on her cheek. All she could hear was the whispered promise, laced with poison. "You will pay for that, Veela scum."

Still paralyzed, Fawn could only watch as Jordan swept the necklace out of her hands and stalked away. The weary girl trembled once released from the serpent's gaze, and could only watch in horror at the creature Jordan had become. 

 

 

Word Count: 3238


	20. The Maze

"Please stay safe, Oak."

Oak smiles down at his sister, who shuffles nervously as she waited for the final task to start. "You know I'll stay as safe as I need to, to win."

Willow sent him a glare that bordered on frantic. "You should try to stay as safe as you need to live." 

Oak shrugs with a sharp grin. "Same thing, sister dear."

Willow clearly doesn't think so, but she is forced to hurry back to the viewing stands as the brass band begins to play. 

Up on the bleachers her thoughts spin so fast with the worry misses every word that Dumbledore speaks, for she already knew the details of the task. Being friends with one victor and sister to another has few perks, but this is definitely one. 

When the cannon fires, she is startled back to reality just in time to see Oak's heel disappear behind the tall hedges; he broke away from the clearing at full sprint. Willow's insides twisted into knots. Discouraged that she had missed seeing her brother for that final moment, she focuses on Harry, who approaches the daunting maze with much more caution, same with the other victors. 

Caution that was necessary, Harry soon discovers as he ventures deeper into the foreboding fog between the grim hedges. The mist muffles the sound around him, and he finds it impossible to tell which way he came from. 

In the morbid quiet his only company is his own soft breaths and somber footsteps. The deep haze did not silence the distant screams however, and the boy felt his blood turn to ice and his throat tighten, sore to let in his heavy breaths. 

With his heart beating franticly in his ears, Harry almost didn't hear the rustling of gravel awaiting for him around the corner. He cautiously pulls out his wand as he creeps around the noisy corner, and to his relief, a familiar face greeted him - well, almost familiar. 

Harry found himself face to face with Oak, his eyes wide and glazed over as if in a trance. Harry's eyes flickered down to the boys hands, finding his palms coated with a thick, dark liquid. His skin began to crawl. 

Seeing Harry's stare, the older boy is quick to wipe the stain onto his pants. "These damn hedges have some sharp thorns." Oak says with a disarming smile straining across his face.

Harry is still wary, but is pulled from the odd expression on Oak's face by the rustling of branches behind him. He turns, cautious and alert only to watch a wall of dark hedges part to reveal a clear, blue gleam of light. The Triwizard Cup.

He slowly faces Oak again, watching the expression on his face darken. The strange smile still remains, but Harry is not foolish enough to think there is anything the boy is happy about at the moment. 

"I hate to do this to you Harry, but you leave me no choice." His grey eyes flash black as he stalks towards the smaller boy. Harry trips over his feet in his haste to get away from the madman, and he lands hard on the bracken of the path, scraping the skin of his palms.

Oak stops his advance however, his head tilting as he abruptly reconsiders. He seems to be talking to the hedges as he says, "But... you're Willow's friend... She would want you to be safe." He shook his head vigorously, "I want you to be safe." There is a gleam of obsession in Oak's eyes as he slowly looks down to Harry with wide eyes, and it lodges a shard of icy fear into his heart. 

As if Oak took the boy's face as one of disbelief he said, "Really Harry, I do. More than just safe, actually. If it wasn't for Miles..." The grey eyes become adoring, but no less crazed. "But no, I have Miles." He reminded himself. 

The ice in Harry's heart had spread over his entire body now in a spread of fearful, painful shivers. He doesn't understand what the older boy was talking about, he doesn't want to. Insane, a voice whispers in Harry's ear. He can't help but agree.

"I'll keep you safe." The crazed boy spoke through a grin, "I told her I would stay safe - Safe enough to win, at least." Oak's hand shoots out, and Harry flinches at the sudden movement. Oak however only offers him a hand up. As not to offend the unstable boy, Harry warily takes it. 

"I'm going to win though. So," He hesitated, "don't get in the way." Oak comments as he pulls an unsteady Harry onto his feet. The older boy claps his hand on Harry's shoulder, and it takes everything in him not to evade the cold grasp. "I would hate to see you get hurt." 

Harry's body shivered violently as Oak turns and saunters toward the glinting pewter cup, his steps surprisingly breezy for his raving madness. 

Harry tries to focus on anything but his frosty blood, his panicked heartbeat, his quick and shallow breaths. He fixes his eyes on the light of the Cup, the odd gleam of magic. The clear light bends slightly around the crystal glass, like a smooth ripple. Not unlike the boot in the dawn light, that one early morning - 

"NO!" Harry breaks from the icy hold on his veins, and he sprints towards Oak. The boy turns his head to stare sharply at Harry. One hand holding his raised wand, the other reaching to grab the cup. 

His effort wasn't enough. Harry only just managed to tightly grip Oak's wand hand as his other grasped the cup, and they were violently torn away from the grassy maze. 

Harry hit the ground with a solid thump, and rolled away from Oak in a dizzying swirl of dark sky and damp earth. He fought to recover enough to sit up, wrestling with the nausea settling in his stomach as he found himself facing the end of the Durmstrang student's wand. Behind the menacing tip, Oak's eyes and features were dark, hidden by the shadows of madness. 

"I told you! I told you to stay out of my way so I wouldn't have to hurt you, Harry!" Oak advanced quickly on Harry as he scrambled wildly backwards. 

"But it was a portke- "

"Moody said I was the best!" The vile shout echos off of their surroundings, and for the first time Harry looks around as if to defend himself from the deafening noise closing in around him. A deep dread and fervent foreboding settles heavily in his stomach when he sees an eerie dense fog curling around dark tomestones scattered around the scene. The cold, damp and dark air made him feel as though he were buried beneath the earth himself. His skin twitched lamently. 

"He said I would win... that I deserved to win!" Oak's face twisted, his vision sparking in rage. "The other champions meant nothing to me, I was willing to do whatever it took."

"Oak, something isn't right, the cup-"

"I protected you! Even after I removed all of the others, I let you live! You betrayed me!"

Harry is horrified, watching the boy he thought he knew be dragged into the endless raze of irremediable insanity. His attention however in unexpectedly torn away from the raving boy as he hears the gentle rustling of cloth that cuts through the silent mist. Raspy whispers of evil fill his ears. 

Too late, Oak realizes the threat. With bright eyes and bold courage he spins to face the evil, wand raised.

"OAK GET DOWN!" 

A bright flash of green blinds the boy, and then darkness.

>>> • <<<

Willow began to feel painfully nervous, as if her stomach rebelled against her, her gut cramped and twisted and her lungs were crushed down to half their usual size, allowing for only short, shallow breaths. Her previous unwavering serenity had now been shaken down to nothing as she said to herself, 'Something is wrong'

She remembered the pride Oak held in his eyes before he set off into the unending twists and turns of sky high junipers. She envied him for the confidence and strength he had in himself, for now she could barely manage to breathe in the safety of the bleachers bench she sat upon. 

If only she could just hear his voice now, here in the place she rested, maybe she wouldn't have such a horrible feeling rumbling in her gut. 

Meanwhile, the crowd began to murmur and question who would be next to fail, and who would return with the goblet in hand. The students came to be restless with curiosity, unable to sit still in their seats as each minute that passed only brought more questions.

A flash of light suddenly formed in the center of the stadium, and from it, Harry appeared with the grand, glowing, glass goblet clasped in his hand as he was hunched over on his knees.

The crowd screamed and cheered in joy and celebration as the victory music began to play with clapping hands and the voices of excited students filling the air. 

Harry however, took no part in the celebration as he looked down to the lifeless body beneath him, the weight of the deed finally overcame him. Harry began to weep as he dropped the goblet to grip his friend's cloak that had become barely recognizable due to the burns and rips. Harry buried his face into the boy's stiff and still chest. Harry's head was too heavy, his body too weak, and his heart too broken to even lift his head to tell the happy crowd that this was not a time of rejoice. 

After a short moment, the crowd began to notice Harry's somber state and lack of celebration. The music slowed to a stop and the students and teachers watched as Harry cried over the body of a student. 

Dumbledore raced down, prying the Gryffindor victor away from the body, but Harry fought to stay by the boy's side as he screamed, "No!" His voice dripping with pain as he forced the words past a wall of tears and cries. "He's back! Voldemort's back!" His voice croaked as his words echoed in screams throughout the stadium. 

Oak's parents along with his Granny Fern suddenly came to the heart wrenching realization of what had happened as Mrs. Brodigan began to sob into her husbands chest. Mr. Brodigan kept his wife from collapsing to the ground as the stillness of loss consumed them. The family felt nothing but to bury themselves and hide away from the terrors that were sure to come. 

Willow stood where she was placed in her podium in an eerie stillness. The music that had once played was drowned out with silence, the voices and cries of the students were consumed by the lack of noise and even Harry's screams were swallowed up by the quiet as all she could hear was a silence so deafening that it sounded like a continual ringing in her head. 

Her eyes focused on the familiar body that lay beneath Harry, the outer corners of her vision became black, filled with her throbbing blood until all she could see was him. She didn't take her glazed over eyes off of her brother for a moment, not even to blink. Harry disappeared as he was carried away by Professor Moody.

Her skin was numb, unable to feel the flow of tears that spilled down her cheeks as she began to slowly bring herself closer to the scene. As if Willow couldn't even control her own body, her feet slowly carried her down the stairs. Each step painful to take as the dazed realization cut like glass shards beneath her frail feet.

Before she knew it, she was standing over the body that had once belonged to Oak. She kneeled down to him, holding his limp head up in her hands, his foggy, open eyes staring out to nothing as her clothing became stained with his blood. She then forced herself to smile through silent sobs before whispering to the boy that could no longer hear her.

"It's going to be okay, Oak." She said to the body. "Don't worry, you are going to be okay." 

The ice cold touch of his skin made her body quiver and twitch in weakness. She dropped the painful, shaky smile to look up to Dumbledore, "DO SOMETHING!" she screamed so powerfully that everyone around took a step back, her voice sore and pained.

As if she was choking up blood instead of words, no one moved. 

Willow turned back down to Oak, who was nothing but skin and bones now. Her body trembled as she said to him, "You're going to live. You always do."

Dumbledore put a hand to the quivering girl's shoulder, but she broke away. He then came around to face her, kneeling on the other side of the body as he whispered with a tear, "He's gone, Willow."

Her voice broke and cracked as she sobbed, "NO! He is not dead!" 

'Oak is not dead. Oak is not dead. Oak is not dead.' Willow repeated.

She cradled the boy as she spoke to herself, rocking back and forth like a rocking chair. Granny Fern had once read to the two of them in the rocking chair, her and Oak. 'It's still me and Oak. Still Oak.'

Professor Snape came behind the mourning girl, grabbing her shoulders as he pulled her away from the body. She fought back as Snape struggled to keep her away from the hollow shell that had once held the soul of her brother. 

Oak's not dead. She whispered to herself, but it was lost in the struggle between her and Snape, lost in the cries from the crowd, lost in the ringing in her ears.

"No!" She screamed a blood curdling cry, "I can't leave him! Please!"

Toby ran to her, holding Willow in a tight hug as he carried her out. Her voice, reciting the verse over and over in his ear. "Oak's not dead."

 

 

Word Count: 2359


	21. Flames

The entire crowd watched the heartbroken girl in mute horror, before the stillness was shattered by a tall figure breaking from the crowd. A black haired Ravenclaw boy, who was recognizable to next to no one besides the boy who was no longer living, stumbled down the steps in an evident agony. He fell weakly onto his knees, crying out silently along with the rest of the crowd. 

"Oh, Oak..." The boy whispered out to no one, but it was all he could manage while clutching the cuff of his sweater in tight fists.

Tessa watched him from where she sat up on her section of bleacher. She recognized the boy, she wasn't sure from where, but now she knew she had seen him with Oak before. Miles, her mind spoke in recollection. It was then that she understood. 

The two boys, inseparable and in constant laughter. Oaks apparent disinterest in a stunning Hermione at the Yule ball. Sweet smiles exchanged between lessons, and sitting together every meal - despite coming from seperate schools. 

The Colombian girl continued to sit silently in her seat, rage bubbling at the sight of lost companionship. In her heart was a smoldering anger towards the school hosting such a dangerous game, furious that the Dark Lord had actually returned, and outraged that no one could do anything about it. 

But what fueled Tessa's anger the most was watching Jordan show not a flicker of emotion. In being only a few rows away, Tessa could identify every word and curse and joke her and her serpent king made to each other. It made Tessa sick that Jordan could have no sympathy or condolence for her former best friend, yet instead, Draco could be seen whispering in the girl's ear, causing them both to chuckle to themselves. What they were laughing at, Tessa couldn't imagine, but it made her blood boil. 

Fawn sat slumped beside her, quiet tears falling from her eyes. She hadn't know Oak that well, but watching Willow's agony made her heart ache for her; she knew what it felt like. However her attention wavered as she followed Tessa's intent gaze to the couple of Slytherins that were just getting up to leave.

Without saying a word, Tessa got up to follow after them, Fawn trailed close behind. 

"Tessa what are you going to do!?" Fawn called out to her, although she gave no response as her heart was set on the overwhelming determination pulsing through her veins. 

With her hurried speed, she caught up to the two just as they had made it down into the empty castle halls of the dungeons. Tessa pulled out her wand as she called out to the girl, "Fraser!" 

Her voice sounded like thunder, booming through echos and lingering noises that made Draco's stomach curl. Although it affected Jordan not in the slightest as she spun around to look the fiery Colombian in the eyes, smugness forced onto her features. 

Jordan let out a menacing laugh, seemingly humoured by Tessa's heroics.

"How can you be so inhuman?" Tessa spat with her wand still raised. "Your best friend is suffering yet you show no sympathy!" 

"Maybe it's because I haven't got any." She mused, evergreen eyes dark. "That arrogant bastard is better off dead. At least this way he won't have to face the wrath of the Dark Lord. You should envy him."

Tessa clenched her jaw, the edges of her teeth scraping together as she pushed harder into Jordans skin with her wand, tears welling up in the Colombian's eyes. "There is nothing you could say that would make me believe that. This isn't you, Jordan!"

The Slytherin girl cracked a smile so wide, yet it didn't reach her eyes. It was the same smile she had given Fawn that day they stole her necklace. The memory made Fawn's entire body tremble. "You don't know me, just wait you will all suffer at my hand, especially your pet Veela scum."

Jordan suddenly whipped out her wand yelling, "Expelliarmus!" Tessa was soon on the ground with her wand sliding down the hall flooring. Fawn watched in horror, yet she couldn't move from where she stood. Draco smirked in approval. 

Jordan inched in closer with her wand to Tessa's neck until their roles were completely switched and Tessa was left helpless at the girl's mercy. Jordan shook her head eerily, "You don't know me." She quickly used a charmed that sent Tessa's limp body reeling across the floor, her nose beginning to bleed as head crashed harshly into the dark stone walls.

"NO!" Fawn screamed a blood curdling cry as she regained control over her body and rushed over to her friend. 

Thankfully, she was still breathing normally, but the poor Colombian was knocked out cold. Fawn remained crouched down, pressed between the tip of Jordan's wand, and Tessa. The blonde glared up at the girl through an unfamiliar set of eyes as her heavy breathing began to resemble the sound of growling. 

Draco took advantage of the vulnerable moment, closing the gap between him and Jordan as he inched up behind her, putting both hands on her sturdy shoulders. He pressed his lips up to her ear, whispering so silently, the words wouldn't have even been identifiable if Fawn hadn't watched his lips form the words, "Kill her."

Jordan stretched her neck as his lips were less than inches away from her skin. She smiled softly, completely entranced by the whisper off of Draco's forked tongue.

"Gladly."

Fawn's lungs crushed, keeping her from the air she so dearly needed. Her eyes pulling with tears and her throat aching in sores, "Jordan, please." she cried.

"You should be thanking me, Bodner." The girl spoke coldly. Although, it wasn't her voice anymore, but the voice of a foreign spirit that laced it's words with the blood of its victims and the heat of it's vengeance. 

"I am merciful," the enemy drawled. Fawn began to fill her body and mind an unforgivable anger in seeing as the girl she used to know was just as dead to Fawn, as she was to Jordan. "Where as the Dark Lord would laugh as you suffered for your impurities." The girl finished with a spine shivering smile.

Fawn's body screamed with a raging flames in the moment that she had never before experienced. She gave into the overwhelming anger, letting it flow through her body and pulse in her veins, it heated her skin, clenched her heart and choked in her lungs as the fury spread like wildfire. 

She felt helpless, at the mercy of her rage as it took over her mind and body.

Jordan's laugh was uncontrollable, seeing the anger boil in the helpless girl in front of her, she swung her wand and began to speak an unforgivable curse. But before Jordan could so much as finish the killing hex, Fawn let out a noise that couldn't quite be described as a shriek as her eyes began to glow a fiery red, her vocals brought the two Slytherin students to their knees.

Fawn stood up tall, now towering over the two as her vision, along with her control, cut out. Yet Jordan and Draco were her witness as they watched her limbs and face morph. Horns sprouted out of her temples as her scream revealed the fangs that quickly evolved within her mouth. She had no control over her body as her skin became swallowed up by dark black scales. Wings sprouted out of her back, black and leathery like a gothic gargoyle; the creature cried. 

Jordan was left to watch the transformation from the ground she was knocked down to, a feeling of utter horror overcame her body as the Harpy advanced in her direction. Draco let out an high yelp as he scrambled to get away in a frantic panic.

Once he was, what he thought to be a safe distance away, he drew his wand and shot a spell at the beast. But a charm that would usually knock a person off their feet, gave the creature nothing worse than a nudge and new anger. The Veelan's skin was suddenly set ablaze as her hands and hair were set off into an angry flame that threatened to burn the serpent's scales. 

Jordan brought up an arm to shield herself from the heat, but she was too close. Jordan's pain came out in a blood curdling scream. 

The beauty of the delicate flames suddenly became the horror it was always known to be as the burning fire merged with Jordan's arm. She watched the delicate layer of skin melt away, exposing a layer of warm, dark blood until she had finally managed to fall back. Jordan clutched her arm in agony but it only made it worse as she continued to cry and scream. 

By then, Tessa had awoken to the shrieks only to find a raging beast that had taken the place of Fawn. She had barely enough strength to sit up when Jordan pulled out her wand on Harpy, screaming a curse through her pained tears that knocked the fiery girl off her claw-like feet. 

Still partially dazed, Tessa waved her wand sharply, sending the body-locking curse towards the redhead. Once she saw the girl go ridged, Tessa stumbled wearily to her feet in an attempt to reach the Harpy.

The creature turned on the Gryffindor, and opened her razor sharp maw to let out a terrible shriek. Startled and disorientated, the girl fumbled with her wand as she tripped backwards. 

Tessa didn't have to mutter a spell however, when the beastly figure stopped abruptly over her tiny form. The Harpy's breath whistled as she were still screaming, yet her slit-pupiled eyes showed the peace within her that fought to take over. Tessa watched as her horns began to wither into ash as she began to forget the snakes she had claimed as prey. The scales on the Veelan's skin smoldered away, and the wings on her back crumbled into dust. Fawn's now round irises rolled back into her skull, and her weak form slumped lifelessly to the floor. 

Only minutes later, Fawn was left to try her best to blink the soot from her eyes; through the dark haze she could see a figure hovering over her. When her vision finally cleared, Fawn almost sobbed in relief to see Tessa, shocked but well. A small wave of panic swept over her again however when she realized she had no recollection about what had happened. 

"Tessa?" The Veelan rasped, her throat scorched and ashy. "What happened... the flames..." She looked around her to see the walls around her set ablaze.

In the light of the burning room, harsh shadows accented Tessa's features where the glowing amber light did not reach. Smoke billowed in clouds above the pair, and ash left darker smudges on the girl's already bronzed skin. Chocolate brown irises were hooded, and Fawn's heart skipped a beat when her friend didn't respond. "Tessa? Oh god, what did I do?" 

The Colombian's eyes lost their film of daze as they snapped to meet gentle hazel irises, recovering the determined glint they always had. In the fierce light of the raging flames however, there another lurking shadow in her eyes. Fear. 

"I don't know, Fawn. I don't know."

 

 

 

Word Count: 1891


	22. Epilogue

Her soft and menacing footsteps sound on the luxurious carpet of the Malfoy Manor, the elegant heels nearly hidden by a flowing, evergreen velvet hem with silver embroidery. Torches flicker gutturally in scones on the wall, casting a long shadow behind the stalking figure. 

Her decadent shoes come to a rest in front of a dark stained vanity, laden with dripping jade candles that host flickering flames. Resting amongst the evergreen pools of wax is a mirror framed by ornate silver snakes with emerald eyes. The gemstones wink wickedly in the firelight, watching the girl stare at her own image. 

In the reflection, hideous burns scar a once delicate forearm, and the flames are branded into her temple. Rage blazes in her veins, like that scalding fire. Like the same flames that gave her the constant reminder of weakness.

Insane with fury, she sinks her teeth into her full bottom lip to try and control of wildfire spreading inside. Detached, she watches the crimson blood well up and run down her pink lip before dripping onto the vanity. The scarlet drops gleam like garnets against the velvety pools of wax.

"Jordan?"

She does not turn, but instead watches the serpent approach behind her in the mirror. His platinum blonde hair gleams in the torch light, his icy eyes hooded. 

Cold hands run up and down the bare skin of her arms, smooth and soothing. "They are beautiful."

The bonfire grows brighter, hotter. "They are a weakness."

His whisper snaked around her ear, his breath coiling and undulating against her delicate skin. "You have proved your loyalty to the Dark Lord. No one will ever think you weak again."

Her poison eyes flashed in the looking glass, glittering like the ornate snakes coiling around her reflection. Their silver scales writhe, nipping and hissing at her impurities. The scalding laughter fuels her sparking rage. "They will burn."

"If you wish, my love."

He leans in to press his lips to hers, his kiss cunning and enchanting. When he pulls away, the ruby rivulet from her lips smudge. 

Pale fingers reach, catching the stream on their tips. Entranced, irises of ice and poison watch as the drops fall, mixing with the growing flood of dark wax. Crimson on velvet, they shine.

The wine drips onto a flame, and the light flickers out.

 

 

 

Word Count: 389

 

Author's Note:  And That's A Wrap! We have heavily edited and changed the first 5 or so chapters, so feel free to read again and comment! And now that we have reached the Epilogue, it's time to say goodbye to your  (hopefully) favourite characters...

Or is it?


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